Rescued migrants , who set sail from Italy , are being taken to a Italian port . Boats were losing buoyancy and did n't have life jackets , navy says . The navy says 124 women and 124 children are among those rescued . North Africa is a major gateway into the Mediterranean Sea for migrants from North Africa .
Rescued migrants , who set sail from North Africa , are being taken to a Sicilian port . Boats were losing buoyancy and did n't have life jackets , navy says . The navy says 124 women and 29 children are among those rescued . Italy is a major gateway into Europe for migrants from North Africa .