French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault called Saturday for a meeting of European countries on border management after the tragic shipwreck off Italy in which hundreds are feared dead, reports GlobalPost.
"Beyond the tragedy... European political officials must talk, and soon," Ayrault said on the sidelines of a meeting in the eastern French city of Metz, adding: "It is up to them to meet to find a proper solution; compassion is not enough."
A total of 111 bodies have been recovered from the boat which was carrying between 450 and 500 African asylum-seekers -- mostly Somalis and Eritreans -- when it capsized Thursday off the island of Lampedusa, the first entry point to Italy from north Africa.
It is feared that the final death toll could be closer to 300, which would make this the worst ever Mediterranean refugee tragedy after a previous one in 1996, also off Italian shores, claimed 283 lives.
One hundred and fifty survivors were plucked from the sea by rescuers.
Read more of this AFP report published by GlobalPost.