A human rights group says nearly 2,000 migrants are known to have died so far this year crossing the Mediterranean.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday that about 1,930 people perished trying to reach Italy in unseaworthy boats mostly departing from Libya.
Another 60 died trying to reach Greece.
William Lacy Swing, the chief of IOM called the deaths of migrants fleeing conflict and other hardship “unacceptable.”
The latest deaths were recorded last week when 19 people died for heat exhaustion and thirst after drinking water which was used to cool a boat’s engine.
The IOM says 1,607 migrants had perished in the same period of last year. The year-end death toll was 3,279.