Ministers meet as capsize toll may hit 950

European Union foreign ministers gathered for an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the growing crisis as migrants flee instability in Libya, with hundreds feared dead from a smugglers' boat that capsized off the Libyan coast.

A survivor from the vessel has put the number of people on board at 950, an increase on the 700 initially feared dead on Sunday.

The survivor, identified as a 32-year-old Bangladeshi, was flown by helicopter to Catania in Sicily, where he was interviewed by prosecutors. He was being treated in a hospital.

Carlotta Sami, a United Nations refugee agency spokeswoman, said, "He is pretty well now and is reporting that there were many, many people, including children, on the boat."

International agencies stressed that the information provided to prosecutors still needs to be confirmed.

The EU foreign ministers, meeting in Luxembourg, were focusing on the migration crisis and the role of the conflict in Libya fueling the influx.

The Italian Coast Guard ship Gregoretti brought the bodies of 24 victims to Malta, where they will be buried. All 24 were men, according to the Maltese Army.

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that survivors spoke of "haunting experiences".

The Maltese Army said items recovered from the scene of the tragedy included a diary, which has been passed to Italian authorities for investigation.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said he would ask his EU counterparts to confront instability in Libya more decisively than in the past, but ruled out ground troops.

"At this moment, to intervene with international forces on the ground is a risk that is absolutely excessive," Renzi said.

He said he would ask his European counterparts to take part in a joint operation targeting smugglers.

Last week, Renzi met in Washington with US President Barack Obama, who also pledged to help on Libya.

Fighting in Libya has escalated to the worst levels since the 2011 civil war, which ended with the overthrow and killing of longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Malta and Italy have received most of a migrant tide that carried 219,000 people from Africa to Europe last year.

Some 3,500 died or went missing along the way, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said on Sunday.