Four dead among hundreds of migrants rescued trying to reach Europe by boat
Spain’s maritime rescue service has saved 334 migrants and recovered four bodies from boats it intercepted trying to reach Europe by crossing the Mediterranean Sea.
The rescue service said its patrol craft reached nine different boats carrying mi grants that had left from African shores throughout Saturday and early yesterday.
One boat found yesterday was carrying four dead bodies along with 49 migrants.
The rescue service said the cause of death has yet to be determined.
Driven by violent conflicts and extreme poverty, tens of thousands of migrants have been attempting to reach southern Europe each year by crossing the Mediterranean in smugglers’ boats.
Most of the boats are unfit for open water and thousands drown annually. The UN said at least 785 migrants have died crossing the Mediterranean so far this year.
Through the first five months of 2018, a total of 27,482 migrants reached European shores, with 7,614 of them arriving in Spain.
Further to the east, Libya’s coast guard intercepted 152 migrants, including women and children, in the Mediterranean Sea, from two boats stopped on Saturday off the coast of the western Zuwara district and the capital Tripoli.
The migrants were taken to a naval base in Tripoli.
Libya was plunged into chaos following a 2011 uprising and is now split between rival governments in the east and west.
The lawless environment in Libya has made it a popular place to head off from towards Europe for migrants fleeing poverty and conflict.
Libya’s coast guard has intercepted more than 150 migrants, including women and children, in the Mediterranean Sea.
Two boats were stopped off the coast of the western Zuwara district and the capital Tripoli, it said.
The boats were carrying 152 migrants, including 19 women and three children, it added.
The migrants, who were from African and Arab countries, were taken to a naval base in Tripoli.
Libya was plunged into chaos following a 2011 uprising and is now split between rival governments in the east and west, each backed by an array of militias.
The chaos has made it a popular route to Europe for migrants fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East.
Libya has worked to stem the flow of migrants, with European assistance.