Migrant boat overturns off Libya

At least 88 people have been rescued after a boat carrying migrants and refugees overturned off the coast of Libya.

People disembark from the Norwegian ship Siem Pilot, at the Salerno harbor, Italy, Thursday, May 26, 2016. Source: AAP

Italy's coast guard says a migrant boat has overturned off Libya's coast with an unknown number of passengers on board.

It says so far 88 people have been rescued.

Coast Guard Commander Cosimo Nicastro told The Associated Press the capsized boat was first spotted on Thursday by an aircraft participating in the European Union monitoring operation.

The Italian coast guard responded with two rescue vessels to the location some 50 kilometres off Libya's coast.

Nicastro said 88 people had been rescued from the capsized wooden boat.

He said he didn't have any information about whether any bodies were recovered or how big the boat was.

It is one of about 20 search-and-rescue operations underway on Thursday.

Nicastro said of the eight operations concluded, some 1000 migrants have been rescued.