STORY: ''The police has shown us the pictures, and they said ''It's your family?'', and we should to give an answer, yes or not'' relative of four victims, Alan, said.

The boat hit rocks and broke up early on Sunday (February 26) in heavy seas near the town of Steccato di Cutro on the toe of Italy, killing at least 64 people, police said on Tuesday.

''(Why?)because they have black eyes, or black hairs? Weren't they human? I wasn't here, I came from Germany, looking what was happening to our family. And from one family of six people, just one child and one man are living (survived),'' relative of victims, Teymoori Mohammad, said.

The boat had set sail from the port of Izmir in western Turkey towards the end of last week. Rescuers said most of the migrants came from Afghanistan, with the others from countries including Iran, Somalia and Syria.