6 bodies found off Sicily, thought to be migrant ship victims

Italian authorities confirmed Monday that they had recovered six bodies off the shore of Sicily, believed to be among the unaccounted-for victims of a migrant shipwreck last week, reported Xinhua.

The bodies have been transported to the island of Lampedusa to be processed.

An official with the Sicilian civil defense authorities confirmed the bodies had been recovered late Sunday when contacted by Xinhua, though the spokesman did not confirm any of the specifics about the bodies that appeared in the Italian media on Monday.

"More information will be available when the bodies are processed," the spokesman said.

Italian media, citing different unnamed officials, said the bodies are presumed to be from a vessel that sank carrying would-be refugees from Libyan waters toward Lampedusa last Wednesday. Italian coast guard officials rescued seven people from the boat, which had taken on water and was half sunk, the reports said.