More than 30 people drowned in the Mediterranean Sea after an estimated 200 people fell from a severely overcrowded migrant boat off the coast of Libya.
The vessel, carrying between 500-800 people, was near a rescue boat when passengers fell overboard.
It is reported that of the 30 people estimated to have lost their lives, many were only toddlers.
The coast guard called in more ships to help with the rescue, saying an estimated 1,700 people were packed into about 15 vessels in the area.
"It's not a scene from a horror movie, it's a real-life tragedy that is taking place today at the gates of Europe," Chris Catrambone, who works with rescue group Moas, told AFP.
There tends to be a spike of during the spring and summer of people attempting the perilous crossing to Europe - mainly due to warmer weather and calmer seas.
As of 17 May this year, 45,754 people departing from the coast in Libya had been rescued at sea and taken to Italy. More than 8,500 of them had arrived in the last two weeks. These figures mark a dramatic increase on the same period last year.
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The transfer to rescuers from overloaded migrant boats is risky because desperate migrants can panic and surge to the side nearest a rescue vessel, destabilising their flimsy craft, which can lead to people falling overboard or the boat capsizing.
This year alone, more than 1,300 people have died fleeing poverty and war across Africa and the Middle East, using this dangerous crossing.
The tragedy comes after German NGO Jugend Rettet said, via its Facebook page, that on Tuesday a Libyan coastguard vessel had fired shots as it conducted a rescue.
The post said the boat was already carrying migrants, presumably picked up from other vessels, who had panicked at the sound of the gunshots and thrown themselves overboard only to be shot at themselves.
"We cannot say whether and how many dead there were in the shooting," the captain, named only Jonas, was quoted as saying.
"We had to be careful not to get a bullet ourselves. We are speechless against this crude violence."
Libya is a gateway into Europe for people fleeing war, poverty and persecution in sub-Saharan Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
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However, the EU is currently trying to beef up the Libyan coast guard in order to reduce the number of migrants crossing. This is an initiative that has come under strong fire by humanitarian groups who say that these people face torture, slavery and worse if left in Libya.
Sources: The Guardian, Agence France Presse
Featured Image Credit: PA