At least 94 African migrants are dead after the ship bringing them to Europe caught fire and capsized off Italy yesterday, spilling hundreds of passengers into the sea.

Only three of an estimated 100 women on board have been rescued and no children have been saved so far. Over 150 people were rescued from the sea near the island of Lampedusa, but at least 200 others were still unaccounted for late yesterday.

It is among the deadliest of recent accidents on the Mediterranean sea crossing, used by African migrants to reach the European Union.

"We need only caskets, certainly not ambulances" said local health services chief Pietro Bartolo.

He gave a death toll of 94 but warned that he expected it to rise as searches continued.

"It's an immense tragedy," said Lampedusa Mayor Giusi Nicolini, adding that the dead included a pregnant woman.

Lampedusa is closer to Africa than the Italian mainland - just 70 miles off the Tunisian coast - and is the frequent destination for people-smugglers' boats.

Coastguards' ships, local fishing boats and helicopters from across the region were combing the waters trying to find survivors, said coastguard spokesman Marco Di Milla.

The boat had departed Tripoli with migrants from Eritrea, Ghana and Somalia, he said.

Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said that the 66-foot ship began taking on water after its engine stalled.

The passengers did not have any mobile phones to call for help so instead set a small fire to flag passing ships.But because fuel had mixed with the water flooding the ship, the fire then spread to the ship itself.

Passengers fled to one side of the boat, tipping it over and some 450-500 people were flung into the sea. It was the second shipwreck this week off Italy.

On Monday 13 men drowned trying to reach Sicily when their ship ran aground just a few yards from shore.

According to the UN refugee agency 8,400 migrants landed in Italy and Malta in the first six months of the year - almost double the 4,500 who arrived during the first half of 2012.