Over 110 dead as migrant boat capsize off Libya

At least 110 people are feared to have drowned off Libya when a migrant boat capsized, and more may have died in another stricken vessel, the UN’s refugee agency said yesterday, citing survivor testimony, reports AFP from Rome. “A vessel with around 140 people on board overturned Wednesday just a few hours after setting off from Libya, throwing everyone into the water. Only 29 people survived,” UNHCR spokesperson Carlotta Sami
told AFP. The Norwegian vessel Siem Pilot was first on the scene, some 20 nautical miles off Libya, and rescued the survivors—all of whom were in poor condition after spending hours in the water—and recovered 12 bodies. Those pulled to safety were transferred to the island of Lampedusa by the Italian coast guard. In what could be a second incident, which could not be immediately confirmed by the coast guard, two women told the UN agency they believed they were the only survivors in an disaster in which some 125 people drowned. “They told us they were on a faulty dinghy which began to sank as soon as they set sail. They were the only survivors,” Sami said.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) quoted the same survivors but put the total death toll at around 240 people. “Not enough has been done so far to avoid these tragedies,” said Flavio di Giacomo, IOM spokesman in Italy. The Italian coast guard said it had no information on the second reported rescue on Wednesday or the saving of two women. Over 4,000 migrants have died or are missing feared drowned after attempting the perilous Mediterranean crossing this year.

Over 110 dead as migrant boat capsize off Libya

At least 110 people are feared to have drowned off Libya when a migrant boat capsized, and more may have died in another stricken vessel, the UNs refugee agency said yesterday, citing survivor testimony, reports AFP from Rome. A vessel with around 140 people on board overturned Wednesday just a few hours after setting off from Libya, throwing everyone into the water. Only 29 people survived, UNHCR spokesperson Carlotta Sami told AFP. The Norwegian vessel Siem Pilot was first on the scene, some 20 nautical miles off Libya, and rescued the survivorsall of whom were in poor condition after spending hours in the waterand recovered 12 bodies. Those pulled to safety were transferred to the island of Lampedusa by the Italian coast guard. In what could be a second incident, which could not be immediately confirmed by the coast guard, two women told the UN agency they believed they were the only survivors in an disaster in which some 125 people drowned. They told us they were on a faulty dinghy which began to sank as soon as they set sail. They were the only survivors, Sami said. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) quoted the same survivors but put the total death toll at around 240 people. Not enough has been done so far to avoid these tragedies, said Flavio di Giacomo, IOM spokesman in Italy. The Italian coast guard said it had no information on the second reported rescue on Wednesday or the saving of two women. Over 4,000 migrants have died or are missing feared drowned after attempting the perilous Mediterranean crossing this year.