At least 20 people have died in a shipwreck off the southern Italian island of Lampedusa, and a United Nations agency says more refugees and migrants could be missing as search operations continue.

Rescue services on Wednesday found 20 bodies, while 60 survivors, 56 men and four women, were brought ashore to Lampedusa, according to the Italian Red Cross and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The disaster, involving people travelling from Libya, was the latest to befall refugees and migrants making the perilous Mediterranean crossing from Africa to Europe.

Rights groups and UN agencies have also documented systematic abuse against refugees and migrants in Libya , including torture, rape and extortion. In February, Libyan authorities uncovered nearly 50 bodies fr

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