A boat packed with African nationals has sunk in the Mediterranean Sea, the Libyan coast guard said.

At least 97 migrants, including children, are believed to have drowned after their Europe-bound inflatable boat "completely collapsed," said spokesman Ayoub Gassim.

Gassim said 23 migrants were rescued around six miles (10 kilometers) off the Libyan coast after authorities received a distress call.

In February, the bodies of 74 drowned migrants washed ashore from the Mediterranean in Libya, as thousands tackle the dangerous sea crossing to Europe every year.

Smugglers use often unsafe boats to ferry thousands of migrants from the north African country to Europe each month. Mass drownings are common when the overloaded boats capsize or sink.

The German government said on Thursday that it would support a ban on the export of boats from the European Union to Libya as part of measures to stem the flow of migrants across the Mediterranean.