700 migrants feared drowned in Mediterranean shipwrecks

U. N. agency says 14,000 refugees were rescued at sea in just the past week

Horrific stories emerged Sunday about 700- plus migrants who drowned trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea since Wednesday, according to the United Nations refugee agency.

Rescuers saved 14,000 people at sea last week, by far the highest weekly number yet this year, said William Spindler, a spokesman for the U. N. High Commissioner for Refugees. The rescues involved a flotilla of ships from multiple nations, including Italy,

Ireland and Germany, according to The Irish Times.

One incident Thursday involved two overloaded boats, one towing another that didn’t have a motor, which smugglers had cut loose when the boat began to disintegrate and take on water, Spindler said. The motorless boat was loaded with 675 people — and 25 of them jumped off and swam to the other boat. Rescuers later saved another 79 people and pulled 15 bodies from the water, he said. About 550 were missing and presumed dead, he said.

Police in the port city of Pozzallo, Sicily, where survivors were taken, arrested a Sudanese na- tional, Adam Tarik, 29, on smuggling and murder charges, according to Ragusa police patrol chief Nino Ciavola, the Italian newspaper La Stampa reported.

Another 100 people were missing from a smuggler’s boat that capsized Wednesday, Spindler said. Images of the disaster were captured by Italian sailors and posted to the Internet. Rescuers also recovered 45 bodies and saved 135 people from a third wreck on Friday, Spindler said.

The International Organization on Migration estimates that 194,611 migrants and refugees entered Europe so far this year, with more than 1,475 missing.

RAFFAELE MARTINO, MARINA MILITARE, VIA AP Rescuers help migrants board dinghies to tow them to an Italian ship after the boat they were aboard sunk. Sailors rescued 135 people and recovered 45 bodies.