Heartbreaking on Greek island as rescuers drag migrants from capsized ship after 1,000 die in THREE tragedies in just 24 hours

Anguish etched on her face and held safe by the bare-chested man who has dragged her from the sea, she seems unable to comprehend what has happened to her.

Around her are scenes of chaos as dozens of men battle to drag other survivors from the treacherous waves. But not all are so lucky. A short distance away, a tiny corpse is carried to land, his woolly hat dripping salt water.

These are the harrowing scenes on the shores of Europe today as up to 1,000 migrants are feared dead after three separate maritime tragedies.

On the Greek island of Rhodes, the unknown child is one of three to have died when the boat carrying him from Turkey ran aground. The woman is one of hundreds of survivors now seeking refuge after narrowly avoiding drowning.

Elsewhere more than 900 mainly African migrants are believed to have perished when a 75 foot fishing boat capsized off Libya in one of the worst maritime tragedies since the Second World War.
Survivors claimed up to 300 people including women and children 'drowned like rats in cages' after being locked in the hold by callous traffickers. In a frantic bid for life, they clung to their dead bodies to stay afloat.

Another two boats are thought to be in danger off the coast of Libya with Maltese and Italian coastguards tending to them. Twenty are already feared dead aboard one of the vessels which are both carrying more than 100 people.