Rome: The United Nations (UN) refugee agency has said that 100 refugees drowned in the Mediterranean off the coast of northern Libya earlier this week while trying to reach Italy by ferry. The International Organization for Migration tweeted this information and said 15 people have been rescued by fishermen and brought to Juwara port in northwest Libya.
Meanwhile, the Italian Coast Guard rescued more than 420 refugees on boats on Saturday amid bad weather in the Mediterranean, including dozens of minors. The Coast Guard said in a statement that 70 refugees from one of its motorized boats were brought safely to The Island of Lampedusa in Italy, south of Sicily. Meanwhile, another Coast Guard ship carrying more than 350 refugees left for Port of Porto Ampedosley in Sicily on Saturday evening. These refugees include more than 40 minors. They were rescued from a fishing boat 115 kilometres from the Sicilian coast.
The Coast Guard said the fishing boat was in danger due to bad weather at sea and the overcapacity of people. The statement described the rescue of a large number of refugees as a difficult task. It said four cargo ships were pressed into service to eliminate the impact of the wind during the rescue operation.
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