Migrant boat disaster - in pictures

The body of a dead child is recovered off the coast of Rhodes. People smuggling is an industry where demand exceeds supply and the seller does not care greatly if the customer reaches their destination or not (AP)

A picture of a young boy who drowned off of the coast of the Greek island of Rhodes has come to represent the tragedy in the Mediterranean sea.

He was one of three migrants who died after a boat carrying dozens of people ran aground.

On the other side of the sea, a survivor of the disaster has said there were as many as 950 people aboard the boat that capsized — most are suspected to have died.

So far 28 survivors have been rescued following the tragedy near the Italian island of Lampedusa, and many of them have offered different accounts as to how many others were on board.

A man rescues an migrant from the Aegean sea (AP)

Survivors cling on to debris after the boat they were in ran aground at Zefyros beach in Rhodes on Monday (AFP/Getty) (EPA)

Three people, including a child, died, with at least 90 people being rescued (Reuters)

Italian coastguard personnel in protective clothing carry the body of a dead immigrant off their ship Bruno Gregoretti in Senglea

Bodies of dead immigrants lie on the deck of the Italian coastguard ship

Italian Coast Guard officers disembark the body of a dead migrant

Rescued migrants talk to a member of the Malta Order after a fishing boat carrying migrants capsized off the Libyan coast

Rescuers help children to disembark in the Sicilian harbor of Pozzallo

A child is carried by a rescue worker

A migrant is helped disembark in the Sicilian harbor of Pozzallo

Armed Forces of Malta personnel in protective clothing carry the body of a dead immigrant off Italian coastguard ship

A boat transporting migrants arrives in the port of Messina after a rescue operation at sea (Getty)