Armed Forces of Malta marines toss bottles of water to a group of around 180 illegal immigrants as a rescue operation gets underway after their vessel ran into engine trouble, some 30km (19 miles) southwest of Malta in this September 25, 2005 file photo. As many as 900 people may have died in Sunday's disaster off the coast of Libya. That would be the highest death toll in recent times among migrants, who are trafficked in the tens of thousands in rickety vessels across the Mediterranean. The mass deaths have caused shock in Europe, where a decision to scale back naval operations last year seems to have increased the risks for migrants without reducing their numbers. The European Union has proposed doubling the size of its Mediterranean search and rescue operations in response to the crisis. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi/Files MALTA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN MALTA TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY PICTURE 02 OF 28 FOR WIDER IMAGE STORY 'ISLE LANDERS' SEARCH 'DARRIN ISLE' FOR ALL IMAGES