DHAKA: New distress calls have been received from migrant boats in the Mediterranean, as EU ministers met in Luxembourg to discuss the crisis.

Italy and Malta said they were working on rescues of at least two boats in distress with hundreds on board, reports the BBC.

The EU is under pressure after scaling back its rescue efforts last year. An extraordinary summit of EU leaders has now been announced for Thursday.

Hundreds of migrants were feared drowned in a capsize on Sunday.

Italian PM Matteo Renzi said on Monday that his country was working with Malta to rescue at least two boats in distress.

He said one of the vessels was a dinghy off the Libyan coast with about 100-150 people on board. The other was larger boat carrying 300 people.

The Maltese navy said that there were a number of new incidents involving rescues being coordinated off Libya by the Italians.

BDST: 2154 HRS, APR 20, 2015
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** Urgent EU talks over migrant deaths