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Divers are hoping to resume their search for the bodies of more than 200 migrants, two days after their boat sank off the Italian island of Lampedusa, the BBC reported.

Rescuers have so far found 111 bodies, and 155 people have been pulled alive from the seas 1km (half-a-mile) from the island in the Mediterranean.

Many bodies are expected to be found in the shipwreck. The search was hampered on Friday by rough seas.

The boat was carrying some 500 people - mostly from Eritrea and Somalia.

The 20m (66ft) vessel began taking on water when its motor stopped working as it neared Lampedusa on Thursday morning, survivors said.

Some of those on board then reportedly set fire to a piece of material to try to attract the attention of passing ships, only to have the fire spread to the rest of the boat.

The boat - which set sail from the Libyan port of Misrata - is thought to have capsized when everyone moved to one side.

Video footage later showed the vessel lying upright on the seabed some 150ft (45m) below the surface.

Divers are hoping to resume the search in the coming hours, officials say.

"Though the bad sea conditions persist, our guys are ready to go down if a window opens up that makes it safe for them," coastguard spokesman Filippo Marini told Reuters.