700 migrants are feared dead after their packed 20-meter fishing boat capsized off
Libya
today April 19th. Reports say the migrants, whose boat was 70 miles (126
km) off the Libyan coast and 110 miles (177 km) south of the Italian
island of
Lampedusa, issued a distress call to Italy's coastguard who immediately instructed a nearby merchant ship to go to its aid and it was
when the merchant ship arrived at the scene that the fishing boat
capsized, most likely as the migrants tried to get its attention, stampeding
to one side of the boat.
UNHCR spokeswoman Carlotta Sami said today's shipwreck appears to be the worst in the Mediterranean
"It seems we are looking at the worst massacre ever seen in the Mediterranean,".
Meanwhile
28 people survived the incident while 24 bodies have been recovered
from the water. 17 Coastal boats are currently combing
the Mediterranean to see if there are still possible survivors.
No comments:
Post a Comment