The International Organization for Migration IOM says no fewer than 400 migrants died between January and March while attempting to cross the Central Mediterranean.
The Central Mediterranean route stretching overseas from North Africa to Italy and, to a lesser degree, Malta is the world’s most dangerous maritime crossing.
IOM, in a statement said that the figure was the deadliest in first quarter on record since 2017.
Although, the UN agency in its Missing Migrants Projects had documented 441 deaths during this period, noting that true figure is likely to be higher.
Investigations continue into several reports of so-called invisible shipwrecks cases where boats are reported missing but there are no records of survivors or search and rescue operations.
