A woman was found dead on a deserted vessel during a rescue operation by sea, east of Libya, the organization SOS Meditation reported.

A total of about 1,500 migrants have been rescued in a dozen operations conducted in the last three days in international waters, not far from Libya.

The woman's body was found in an inflatable boat with 108 passengers, including 16 women and 34 minors, mostly from Eritrea. They are uploaded aboard the Aquarium rescue ship, hired by SOS Meditation. According to the boatman, the woman died because of complications after childbirth, as she had given birth to a dead baby a few days before departure. Approximately 114,600 migrants have reached the coast of Italy since January 1, down 32 percent from the same period last year, according to data from the authorities.