(VOVworld) - At least 29 illegal migrants died from hypothermia on Monday while traveling to Italy on a ship in the southernmost Italian island of Lampedusa, said Italian coast guard commander Filippo Marini.

Some of the migrants that were rescued at sea sit on a bus in the harbor of Lampedusa Monday, Feb. 9, 2015. (photo:dailymail.co.uk)

Rescuers found the ship battered by huge waves and strong winds and evacuated 125 people. However, rough seas and freezing temperatures hindered the rescue teams’ operation. Marini said the ship was likely to depart from Libya, a trans-shipment point for illegal migrants trying to enter EU countries.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said 207,000 people have made the risky Mediterranean sea crossing trying to reach Europe, at least 3,400 of them have died in 2014.