China News Service, March 13 (Xinhua) According to foreign media reports, the Italian Coast Guard issued a statement on the 12th local time saying that an illegal immigration boat capsized in the central Mediterranean Sea, leaving about 30 people missing.

  The Italian coastguard said in a statement that the vessel capsized while a merchant ship was trying to rescue it, Al Jazeera reported.

A total of 17 people were rescued and about 30 people are missing.

  According to reports, a total of 47 people were on board the ship involved, which sailed from Libya and was affected by bad weather conditions.

  After receiving an alert of a ship in distress, the Libyan government appealed to Italy for assistance.

The Italian side immediately asked all merchant ships in the sea area involved to join the search and rescue operation.

But in the process of trying to transfer the people on board, the ship capsized.

  The coastguard said search and rescue efforts were still underway, supported by merchant ships and European Border Agency air assistance.

  Seventy-two people were killed when a migrant boat from a port in western Turkey sank after hitting rocks off Italy's Calabria region on February 26.

Since then, Italy's ability to rescue refugees has come under scrutiny.