The wave of migrants desperate to reach Europe continued to unfurl into Italy on Friday, with hundreds more rescued as they crossed the Mediterranean in overcrowded boats.<br /><br /> Over 10,000 migrants have reached Italy this past week alone (April 10-17).<br /><br /> The number of people embarking on the risky journey to Europe is roughly stable compared to the same period a year ago, but the number of those dying along the way has jumped almost ten-fold, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).<br /><br /> Some 900 people have died so far in 2015 while crossing the Mediterranean towards Italy, compared to 96 a year ago, according to the IOM.<br /><br /> Horror stories from survivors keep pouring in.<br /><br /> Early on Friday (April 17), around 70 men, women and children, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, were rescued from a rubber dinghy and taken to the island of Lampedusa. Most suffered heavy burns from the explosion of a gas cylinder prior to their boarding. They received no treatment during their two d
