More than 40 migrants have died in the Mediterranean on Saturday, the Italian Navy said, after apparently suffocating below deck on the boat taking them to Europe. “Operation underway... Many migrants saved. At least 40 dead,” the navy said on Twitter, while the Corriere della Sera newspaper said those, who died were found in the hold of the vessel. The boat, which was intercepted south of the Italian island of lampedusa, was carrying around 300 people, the paper said. An Italian Navy helicopter spotted the boat, which was overcrowded and starting to sink.