Three sisters have drowned after a "dangerously overcrowded" migrant boat heading to Italy overturned.

Rescuers rushed to save the migrants coming from Libya, but the bodies of the sisters, aged 9, 11 and 17, were found inside the boat.

65 others were rescued by migrant charity RESQSHIP, with their Nadir vessel scrambled to assist as the boat was hit by five-foot waves, The Sun reports.

The organisation said the vessel was "dangerously overcrowded".

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