Refugees Report Hundreds Drowned in Mediterranean Sea
A group of refugees rescued in Italy reported the existence of a fourth boat with 400 passengers that has sunk. Media outlets had reported the sinking of three boats in recent days.
These refugees told the aid organization “Save the Children” that the fourth boat left the port of Sabratha in Libya in the late hours of Wednesday (May 25/ June 5). A larger ship had been towing this boat.
According to the refugees, the ship’s captain ordered the rope to be cut after some time, thereby separating the boat from the ship, and as water entered it, the boat sank.
The spokesperson for “Save the Children” said they have collected statements from several eyewitnesses who all gave the same account of the incident. According to Giovanna Di Benedetto, “These statements must first be verified, but if the survivors’ accounts are accurate, 400 people have drowned.”
Record of Rescuing 4,000 Migrants in One Day
The United Nations and Italy’s coast guard said that nearly 14,000 migrants were rescued in the Mediterranean Sea over the past week. Only on Friday (May 27/ June 7), the Italian coast guard pulled 2,000 people from the water during 17 coordinated operations. The day before that, 4,000 migrants had been rescued.
It is still unclear how many migrants have drowned in total in recent days.
The Italian Navy announced that it recovered 45 bodies from the water around a single sunken rubber boat.
The Italian coast guard conducted 22 separate rescue operations on Thursday (May 26) for migrants, which according to the spokesman of this agency was likely unprecedented and constitutes a record.
With the arrival of summer and favorable weather conditions, perilous sea voyages to reach Europe take place during the period from May to October. International organizations estimate that in 2016 so far, 1,475 migrants have drowned seeking a better life in Europe.
Source: wd
