A boat carrying migrants has capsized in the Mediterranean with an emergency rescue underway off the coast of Libya.
Initial blame for the incident has fallen on the Libyan coastguard amid reports the boat carrying the migrants was rammed.
Footage of the incident shows the aftermath of the apparent collision with people in the water as the inflatable dingy they were on begins to sink.
Libya has been at the forefront of the Mediterranean migrant crisis with many boats living from the shore of the North African country.
The number of people on the boat which capsized is not yet clear though it is understood a number of people remain missing.
The incident was reportedly filmed by an NGO helicopter overhead which captured a Libyan Coastguard vessel next to the overturned migrant boat.
People can be seen desperately clinging to the remains of the boat while others appear to use the inner tube of car tires as makeshift life jackets.
The NGO which filmed the incident released a statement condemning the Libyan coastguard and accusing them of ramming the migrant vessel.
A Sea-Watch spokesperson said: “The unit of the so-called Libyan Coast Guard rammed and caused the sinking of a dinghy overloaded with at least 50 people.
“Some of them were certainly captured and deported to Libya. The survivors cannot be found.”
