Lampedusa shipwreck death toll rises to 18
Italian coastguards carry the body of a migrant victim of a boat that capsized off the Italian coast, on the island of Lampedusa, Italy on Nov. 30. REUTERS/MAURO BUCCARELLO After the new bout of bad weatherblocked search operations for several days, on Sunday six coast guard divershelped by a remotely-operated submarine found four bodies underwater and afifth one floating. The boat, which survivors said haddeparted from Libya taking advantage of a respite in bad weather, was believedto carry around 170 people. Over 1,100 migrants have died or aremissing at sea after attempting to cross the Mediterranean this year, accordingto the International Organization for Migration.(Reuters)
ITALY – The bodies of five migrantswho died when a boat capsized in rough waters off the southern Lampedusa coasta week ago have been found, Italy’s coast guard said on Sunday, bringing theoverall death toll to 18. The Lampedusa coast guard managed tobring safely onshore 147 migrants after the accident on Nov. 23.