Nineteen people are feared dead after two boats collided off the coast of Albania.

One of the boats is believed to have been carrying refugees to Italy when it exploded after colliding with another vessel returning from the Italian coast.

Italian coastguards said two women and a baby were already known to have died, and another sixteen people were still missing.

A number of people were injured.

Dozens of refugees from Albania and Kosovo set sail for Italy on an almost daily basis.