BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- China is deeply concerned over the capsizing of a boat carrying migrants off the Libyan coast, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

China expressed condolences to the victims and hopes the search and rescue work will make positive progress, Hong Lei said at the ministry's routine press briefing.

Nearly 700 migrants are feared to have died at sea when the packed boat capsized in international waters south of Italy's Sicily on Saturday night, Italian media said on Sunday.