More than 2,000 migrants trying to reach Europe were plucked from the Mediterranean yesterday in a series of dramatic rescues and one person was found dead, officials and witnesses said.

An Italian coast guard spokesman said 19 rescue operations by the coast guard or ships operated by non-governmental organizations had saved a total of 2,074 migrants on 16 rubber dinghies and three small wooden boats. The medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said in a tweet that one teenager was found dead in a rubber boat whose passengers were rescued by its ship Aquarius.

According to the International Organization for Migration, nearly 32,000 migrants have arrived in Europe by sea so far this year. More than 650 have died or are missing.