A rubber inflatable boat has sank in sea, with seven children among at least 35 people feared dead. The boat containing migrants was rescued by Libyan coastguard off the coast of Gharaboli, east of Tripoli, Libya, Ismail Zetouni, in Reuters, reports.
The fishermen had alerted the coastguard official – Issa Al-Zarrouk, in Garabulli, 60 kilometres east of Tripoli. 85 refugees comprising of eighteen women were rescued while clinging to the sinking boat. Navy spokesman, Ayoub Kacem reported that the boat sank six nautical miles northwest of Garabulli, and ten fishing boats took part in the life rescue mission.
Vivian Effoussa, a Nigerian resident who was one of those rescued expressed grief at the horror turn of event. “The boat we entered was leaking,” said Effoussa, who was one of those attempting to cross over to Europe after the strive to support two children back home.
Series of tragedies have occurred to migrants yearly while struggling to enter Europe via the Mediterranean sea. Most of these people aim to set up a better life over there. Some go into prostitution or money rocketing while giving their nations a poor reputation.
Human and drug traffickers are known for constant exploitation in Libya, subsequent to the uprising that led to the crumbles of the dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, hence boosting the illegal trade.
It was reported that “Nearly 77,000 migrants have landed in Italy since January, 15% upper on the same period in the previous year. Altogether, at least 2,247 people have died or are nowhere to be found after trying to cross the sea this year”.
Meanwhile, decomposed bodies of twenty Egyptian nationals were found by Libyan authorities in a remote area of the Tobruk desert. Tobruk which is a port city on Libya’s eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border of Egypt.
