21 missing after boat capsizes off Italian island

Seven people have been rescued and 21 others remain missing at sea after the boat they were traveling in capsized off the island of Lampedusa on Monday, the Italian coast guard said Wednesday.

The survivors were picked up from a semi-sunken boat about 10 nautical miles (18.5 km) southwest of Lampedusa, a statement said on Wednesday.

The survivors told rescuers they had set off on Sunday from Libya, and that 21 of the 28 people on board, including three children, had fallen into the sea during rough weather.

The refugees were disembarked in Lampedusa, and search and rescue efforts for the remaining missing refugees are still ongoing.