Italian doctors struggled to help injured and seriously burned migrants arriving at Lampedusa.
The migrants barely survived a cylinder explosion, which killed several people, while in the hands of smugglers in Libya.
The smugglers refused to call for help to avoid being caught. According to the Chief of health services on Lampedusa, at least ten of the new arrivals are in critical condition.
The Navy transported some of the 21 people in critical condition to hospitals in Sicily, an hour away from Lampedusa.
UN officials say nearly 500 migrants have died this week trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea.
Over 35,000 refugees and migrants have crossed the Mediterranean this year. At the same time, some 950 people have been reported dead or missing at sea.
