The Italian Navy has said that it has found the bodies of thirty dead would-be migrants during a rescue mission on Sunday.
CNN noted that officials said that the discovery was made on a migrant boat in the Mediterranean between Sicily and the North African coast. The deceased were found in the boat’s bow.
Authorities believe the cause of death was asphyxiation and drowning.
The Associated Press reported that the boat was carrying a total of 600 people and the 566 survivors were rescued and headed to the Sicilian port of Pozzallo.
The Navy is said to have rescued an estimated 5,000 migrants this past weekend alone as part of its Mare Nostrum (Our Sea) operation.
The operation came about after the twin disasters involving migrant boats in October, in which approximately 400 people perished.
Mane Nostrum aims to intercept migrant vessels before they run into trouble in the open waters.
Despite the Navy’s efforts in the operation not every death can be prevented and the tragedies have not stopped more boats from attempting to cross the sea.