500 people were crammed onto a 20-meter (66-foot) vessel

Oct 3, 2013 17:06 GMT  ·  By

The tragedy at sea off the island of Lampedusa, Italy today could have been avoided, experts say.

94 people died and 250 are still missing after a boat carrying migrants from northern Africa sank near Sicily.

The ship started sinking when its motor gave out, but was turned upside down after a fire was started. The Independent reported that the passengers tried to send out a signal for help and set a small fire.

However, the gas and flames spread and passengers panicked, taking cover in a single part of the boat, causing the vessel to capsize. 500 people had been crammed onto a 20-meter (66-foot) boat.

They could not call for assistance as they did not have cellphones and a lot of them were unable to swim.

Fishing boats spotted the signal and alerted authorities, who have rescued 151 people so far. However, for many passengers, it was too late.