As Italian sailors watched, a ship jammed with migrants fleeing the Mideast capsized in the Mediterranean Sea on Wednesday.
Photos shot by the Italian navy showed the vessel upright at first when spotted off the Libyan coast.
It slowly turned onto its side as the hundreds of people on board shifted position on the deck. People fell or jumped into the water, with some clinging to the side of the vessel as the ship approached.
About 500 migrants were rescued, but seven people died, the navy said. Rescue operations were ongoing with the help of a helicopter and a second ship.
Thousands of people fleeing civil war in Syria and religious and sectarian conflict across the Mideast have risked their lives by crowding onto ships and boats leaving ports for Europe. Some of the vessels are not seaworthy and sink or break apart.
In 2015 alone, more than 3,700 migrants died crossing the Mediterranean in attempts to reach Europe, the International Organization for Migration said.
Many of the ships are heading toward Italy and the Italian navy has been involved in rescue operations on a regular basis.