As many as 700
people are feared dead after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the
Libyan coast overnight, the Times of Malta reported on Sunday.
Twenty eight people were rescued in the incident, which
happened in an area just off Libyan waters, 120 miles south of the
southern Italian island of Lampedusa, the newspaper's website reported.
The emergency was declared at about midnight. The boat is
believed to have capsized when migrants moved to one side of the vessel
when a merchant ship approached.
So far, at least 900 have died trying this year as boats capsized. This includes around 400 who were presumed drowned last week in another shipwreck.
More than 11,000 other migrants have been rescued by Italy's coastguard and other boats.
If confirmed, the latest disaster would be one of the worst seen during the decades-long migrant crisis in the southern Mediterranean.
And it would bring the total number of dead since the beginning of the year to more than 1,500.
Carlotta Sami, a spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, told SkyTG24 television: "At the moment, we fear that this is a tragedy of really vast proportions."
Italy says it will continue rescuing migrants but is calling for the European Union to help more with sheltering and rescuing them.
Rome says the EU's border control agency Frontex must take a greater role in coordinating rescue operations.
Frontex technically is a border patrol operation, not responsible for search and rescue efforts.
So far, at least 900 have died trying this year as boats capsized. This includes around 400 who were presumed drowned last week in another shipwreck.
More than 11,000 other migrants have been rescued by Italy's coastguard and other boats.
If confirmed, the latest disaster would be one of the worst seen during the decades-long migrant crisis in the southern Mediterranean.
And it would bring the total number of dead since the beginning of the year to more than 1,500.
Carlotta Sami, a spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, told SkyTG24 television: "At the moment, we fear that this is a tragedy of really vast proportions."
Italy says it will continue rescuing migrants but is calling for the European Union to help more with sheltering and rescuing them.
Rome says the EU's border control agency Frontex must take a greater role in coordinating rescue operations.
Frontex technically is a border patrol operation, not responsible for search and rescue efforts.
source: Reuters
No comments:
Post a Comment