Tunisia's coastguard and navy Monday rescued around 128 migrants as they headed from Libya to Italy, the interior ministry said on Sunday.

The Red Crescent said the migrants, who were on board of one boat, sent out a distress call from off coast.

There were 25 women among the 128 migrants.

The precarious security situation in Libya has sparked a rise in boats setting out for Europe from its unpoliced ports carrying refugees fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East and Africa.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), says that at least 3,500 people died in 2014 out of more than 218,000 migrants who crossed the Mediterranean, making it the most deadly migrant route in the world.
Source: MENA