Horrific pics of more than 550 refugees clinging on to a capsizing boat for their dear lives today. The overcrowded wooden fishing boat
turned over off the coast of Libya today as its passengers desperately
tried to reach Europe - and the rescue mission is ongoing.
The
Italian navy said that while around 500 people have been rescued so far,
seven bodies have also been recovered - and there are fears the death
toll will rise further.
It brings to more than 6,000 people
rescued in total so far this WEEK. Numbers are expected to rocket
further as the weather improves and seas calm.
The Italian navy's patrol boat Bettica was first to spot the
vessel was getting into difficulty and was nearing it when it flipped
over.
It had been approaching it to hand out life jackets, but
before it could begin a rescue the boat turned over due to the sudden
movement of the passengers, a statement said.
In the past two years, more than 320,000 boat migrants have
arrived on Italian shores and an estimated 7,000 died in the
Mediterranean as they sought to reach Europe, according to the
International Organization for Migration.
Boat transporting 550 Refugees capsized in the Mediterranean
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