50 refugees feared dead off Italy

LAMPEDUSA, Sicily -- About 50 asylum-seekers are feared drowned after a search and rescue operation has failed to find any more survivors from a capsized boat.

The wooden boat carrying more than 70 illegal immigrants flipped over in rough seas off the southern Italian coast on Thursday night.

Italian navy, coast guard and fishing continued looking into Saturday, but authorities said the chances of finding anyone alive were slim.

The went down about 65 miles south of Lampedusa, a tiny Sicilian island in the Mediterranean Sea.

Rescuers recovered 12 bodies and 11 survivors, who said they were from Nigeria, Sudan and Turkey.

Rescue attempts continue to be hampered by strong winds and choppy waters.

The immigrants' boat capsized while being towed to land by a fishing vessel that had spotted the vessel on the high seas.

Survivors said they had left from Turkey about a week ago after each paying smugglers $4,000, port officials said.

Defence Ministry officials reacted sharply on Saturday to some fishermen's accusations that the Italian navy boat that later went to aid the immigrants did not do enough to try to save lives.

Defence Undersecretary Francesco Bosi called the criticism "presumptuous," the Italian news agency AGI reported, The Associated Press said.