The Italian coastguard has released a shocking video showing its rescue of approximately 150 people, including several children, following a shipwreck off the island of Lampedusa. 

The video shows a young child being pulled from the waves, with many others waiting to be taken to safety. A camera in the water shows a "migrants-eye view" of the rescue. 

According to the coastguard, a small ship carrying migrants from Libya to Italy sank around two kilometers from the Italian island on Sunday.

Although rescuers battled the freezing conditions to save many of those in the water, emergency workers are still searching for as many as 20 people. 

At least five bodies have been recovered, according to Reuters. An Italian authorities source told the news agency the migrants on the boat were from Algeria, Tunisia and Pakistan. 

The International Organization for Migration said there have been nearly 1,000 confirmed deaths on the three main routes across the Mediterranean so far this year.

Lampedusa is a popular target destination for migrants attempting to travel to Europe from North Africa, as the Italian island is a relatively short distance from the Libyan coast.