Migrant Crisis: 43 African Migrants Drown as Boat Capsizes in Mediterranean Sea Near Libyan Coast
Around 43 migrants belonging to Western African countries drowned and died after a boat capsized in the Mediterranean sea off the Libyan coast on Tuesday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNHCR said in a statement. The incident reportedly occurred as the engine of the boat carrying the migrants stopped working.
Tripoli, January 21: Around 43 migrants belonging to Western African countries drowned and died after a boat capsized in the Mediterranean sea off the Libyan coast on Tuesday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNHCR said in a statement. Another 10 migrants were recused from the boat. The incident reportedly occurred as the engine of the boat carrying the migrants stopped working. Yacht, Lady MM Burns and Sinks Into the Mediterranean Sea, Viral Video Captures the Dramatic Moment.
As per reports, the boat had left from Zawya in Libya on Tuesday morning and a few hours later was capsized due to bad weather conditions and engine failure. "Survivors, mainly from Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Ghana, and The Gambia, reported that those who perished were all men from West African countries," the UNHCR said in a statement. Spain's Coastguard Saves 200 Migrants Crossing Mediterranean Sea on Christmas Day.
Scores of asylum seekers die every year while looking to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe, UNHCR added. "IOM and UNHCR fear that due to the limited ability to monitor routes, the actual number of people who perished in the Central Mediterranean during 2020, could be much higher," the statement added.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 21, 2021 03:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).