40 Migrants Dead Off Libyan Coast; Rescue Under Way
The Italian navy says at least 40 migrants have died in the Mediterranean Sea and that an unknown number of others were rescued from what local media are describing as an overcrowded people smuggler’s boat, reports VOA.
A navy statement on Twitter said the rescue operation is ongoing on the boat, which is reported to be north of Libya.
The circumstances that led to the deaths were not immediately clear.
Europe has been flooded by a wave of desperate migrants fleeing poverty and armed conflicts in North Africa and the Middle East.
The International Organization for Migration says more than 192,000 migrants have arrived in Europe by sea this year. More than 2,000 migrants died attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea.(VOA)