At least 20 people have died after a boat capsized off the southern Italian island of Lampedusa, a United Nations agency and local media reported on Wednesday.

Rescuers have recovered 20 bodies so far and operations were continuing, according to initial reports by Ansa news agency. Between 70 and 80 people were believed to have survived.

Filippo Ungaro, from the UN’s refugee agency UNHCR, expressed “deep anguish” over the disaster and said more people could still be missing at sea.

“Deep anguish for the umpteenth shipwreck off the coast of Lampedusa, where UNHCR is now assisting the survivors. It looks to be 20 bodies found and as many missing,” Ungaro wrote on social media.

The Italian news agency Radio Radicale said the boat had been carrying 97 people when it overturned 14 miles south-west of Lampedusa.

Details remained unclear but Save the Children Italy said that a baby girl, aged one and a half, appeared to be lost after the incident.

Rai Radio 1 reported between 12 and 17 people missing, and said that 60 survivors had been transported to safety on the island.

The boat, which had already overturned, was spotted from the air by a plane from Italy’s financial police, it said.

Migrants heading to Italy from north Africa often cross in leaky or overcrowded boats via the central Mediterranean route – one of the world’s deadliest – and arrive in Lampedusa.

The UNHCR said on Wednesday 675 people had died on the central Mediterranean route so far this year.

As of Wednesday, 38,263 migrants have arrived on Italy’s shores this year, according to the interior ministry.

The Italian interior ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.