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At least 25 refugees dead in shipwreck off Libya
[PRESSTV] At least 25 people have drowned off Libya after a dinghy, possibly carrying some 150 refugees, ran into trouble, two rescue organizations say."Rubber dinghy sunk north of [the Libyan capital] Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... . At least 25 people died in the incident, exact numbers still unclear. Italian navy on the scene," the German charity Sea Watch said on Twitter on Saturday. It added that it had been alerted to the disaster by the Italian coasties, which said the bodies of eight people had been discovered, and 85 rescued from the sinking vessel so far. The alarm was set off when surveillance aircraft on patrol for a European mission against refugee smuggling in the Mediterranean had spotted the partly-submerged boat some 40 miles off the Libyan coast, in international waters. "The search continues for survivors," said the coasties. Italian navy and coasties vessels were involved in the rescue. "Shipwreck off the coast of Libya, east of Tripoli. Dozens of people missing who will die without a burial," the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms said on Twitter, adding that many refugees were in the water for hours before being saved. Posted by: Fred 2018-01-07 |
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