Hundreds Feared Dead as Boats Capsize

SHAKESPEARE:
Three of four boats carrying immigrants from all over Africa capsized soon after leaving shore. Hope is quickly fading for more than 300 people who are still missing.
STORY
A boat packed with illegal immigrants arrives in Tripoli after being rescued by the Libyan coastguard.

350 Africans were brought ashore safely - but it's feared hundreds more are dead.

Four boats believed to be heading to Italy set off from a Libyan coastal village - three of them capsized not long into the journey.

[Jean-Philippe Chauzy, IOM Spokeperson]:
"It was overloaded with migrants, it was top heavy and with the heavy winds that blew at the time, it's quite possible that the boat simply turned over and those boats have no life-jackets, no life-rafts. So those who found themselves in the sea had very little chances of survival."

Jean-Philippe Chauzy is from the International Organisation for Migration.

He says it's not clear how many people were onboard.

[Jean-Philippe Chauzy, IOM Spokeperson]:
"Smugglers will not hesitate to cram people on boats, they'll cram them under deck, on top of the deck, boats that are designed to carry a certain amount of people usually at 4 or 5 times the capacity."

After two days of searching 23 bodies were recovered.

But more than 300 people are thought to be missing, feared drowned.

Officials say there's been an upsurge in illegal migration to Europe recently, with many using Libya as a transit point.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• ntd
• immigrants
• Africa
• Tripoli
• Libyan coastguard
• IOM
• refugees
• migration

[lostinseganet]

Are you kidding me? dont take them to your shore? ship'em back!

[Cougman1978]

go ahead take them and let them grow islam and grow problem same as they insult america for mexico. remember haiti won revolution in 1805, now haiti never heal and also mexico won independence from france.

[Cougman1978]

go ahead take them and let them grow islam and grow problem same as they insult america for mexico

[horseman528]

Population explosion of indogent peoples in third world countries who don't have the resources or ability to take care of themselves. How many indogent third world immigrants can any nation absorb before it too collapses under the weight of their needs and taxpayer cost. Over 6 billion people and eventually if not sooner not enuf natural or economic resources to sustain them all.