Hundreds of people are feared to have drowned in what may be the deadliest migrant disaster ever in the Mediterranean Sea. As many as 700 people perished after their boat capsized after departing from Libya. Only 28 people were rescued. The warmer weather has increased the number of journeys by people fleeing to Europe from violence and poverty in Africa and the Middle East. The latest tragedy comes after a spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration had already warned the Mediterranean death toll has increased tenfold, from about 90 last year to 900 this year.

Joel Millman: “We’re talking about a death toll this year that’s already 10 times what it was last year. And when you recall that we reported, I think, 3,179 deaths in the Mediterranean last year, if this trend were to continue, we’d be talking about over 30,000. And that’s quite alarming.”

European officials are holding urgent talks on the migrant crisis in Luxembourg today.