ROME — Three survivors of a rubber dinghy that sank in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya say up to 117 other migrants were aboard at the time, a U.N. migration official said Saturday.
It appeared to be the latest tragedy at sea on the dangerous central Mediterranean route from North Africa to Europe.
Flavio Di Giacomo of the International Organization for Migration told Italian state TV that “unfortunately about 120” migrants were reported by survivors to have been on the overloaded smugglers’ dinghy when it was launched from Libyan shores on Thursday evening.
“After a few hours, it began sinking and people began drowning,” Di Giacomo said.
Among the missing are 10 women and two children, including a two-month-old baby, he said.
Survivors indicated that their fellow migrants came from Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Gambia and Sudan, Di Giacomo said.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
-
BicentennialOn this date in Maine history: Jan. 21
-
Letters to the Editor
New Maine plan doesn’t go far enough to protect right whales
-
Letters to the Editor
For safety, walk on the left side
-
Business
Over a half-million guests stayed at Maine Airbnb rentals in 2019
-
Local & State
Electric school buses latest stop on Maine’s climate-change journey
Comments are not available on this story.