Ships near Italy rescue 32 migrants; 71 missing at sea, charity says
A deadly Easter weekend crossing in the central Mediterranean left two migrants dead and dozens more feared missing after a boat traveling from Libya toward Europe ran into trouble near the Italian coast.
A deadly Easter weekend crossing in the central Mediterranean left two migrants dead and dozens more feared missing after a boat traveling from Libya toward Europe ran into trouble near the Italian coast.
Two merchant vessels recovered the bodies of two migrants and rescued 32 survivors, according to rescue charities Mediterranea Saving Humans and Sea-Watch. Citing accounts from those pulled from the water, the groups said 71 other people were lost at sea.
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The victims were transferred to an Italian coast guard patrol boat and taken to the Italian island of Lampedusa, the two organizations said.
Italy’s interior ministry said it had no comment on the report.
The Italian Coast Guard did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Video released by Sea-Watch showed roughly a dozen people clinging to an overturned orange boat as a merchant ship moved in to reach them.
Rough weather has battered the Mediterranean this year, reducing the number of departures from North Africa while creating dangerous conditions for those who do attempt the crossing.
The International Organization for Migration estimates that at least 683 people have died in the central Mediterranean this year, marking one of the highest death tolls for the route since 2014.