Portugal Colonial - Italian authorities try to identify Lampedusa capsize victims

One wooden coffin, marked with an "X", could be seen at the local cemetery, where the bodies of some of the victims were being held, an AFP journalist said.

Lampedusa, just 90 miles (145 kilometres) off the coast of Tunisia, is often the first point of arrival for people trying to reach Europe in fragile or overcrowded boats.

Its reception centre is currently home to 317 people, including about 70 mostly unaccompanied minors, said Giovanna Stabile, from the Italian Red Cross which runs the facility.

Most of them come from Egypt, Somalia and Bangladesh, she added.

Of the 60 survivors of Wednesday's capsize, 58 were at the centre. The two others were airlifted by helicopter to Sicily for treatment, she said.

"Last night, the procedures for identifying the bodies began," said Stabile.

"This was a delicate moment, which was supported by the psychologist, the linguistic-cultural mediator and the multidisciplinary team.

"People reacted to the identification in a very composed manner."

The 27 victims, including three minors, died when two crowded boats heading from Libya capsized about 20 kilometres off Lampedusa.

The UN refugee agency said the boats were carrying at least 95 people, although the Italian news agency ANSA said 100 to 110 people may have been on board, meaning up to 23 could still be unaccounted for.

On Thursday, the Italian coastguard published a video of the rescue operation, showing young men desperately trying to cling to a floating rescue cylinder in the water.

The sombre scene at the reception centre was in stark contrast to elsewhere on the island, as throngs of tourists spent Friday's Ferragosto public holiday and long weekend.

At the port, where dozens of migrants were still arriving by boat at the port, pleasure craft were bringing back tourists from sea trips to the sound of festive music, an AFP journalist said.

"Migrants continue to arrive... our arms are always open but when these deaths occur, it hurts us deeply," one local woman, who gave her name only as Angela, told AFP.

L.Mesquita--PC