(MENAFN- The Peninsula) QNA
Rome: Rescuers pulled 700 boat migrants to safety in the Mediterranean and found 23 bodies, an Italian coastguard spokesman said, the second loss of multiple lives recorded in the area so far this week.
A Spanish ship deployed in the European Union's Operation Sophia naval mission recovered the dead, along with 64 survivors, from a sinking rubber boat.
Six rescue operations were carried out in total on Friday, the spokesman said, making it one of the busiest days for rescues in recent months. Seven people were found dead and 900 saved on Wednesday.
The Italian Coast Guard ship Diciotti was heading for the southern port of Reggio Calabria with 764 rescued migrants on board, the ANSA news agency said in a report confirmed by the coast guard spokesman.
Diciotti was also carrying eight dead bodies, ANSA said. It was not clear if they had been among those recovered by the Spanish ship.
MENAFN0411201700630000ID1096040527
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.