Up to 400 illegal migrants died after their vessel capsized off the Libyan coast on Sunday, said survivors who were brought to Italy, where tension is mounting over a surge in boat arrivals from North Africa.
The Italian coastguard on Monday said they had managed to rescue 144 of the people on the sunken vessel, while nine bodies were also recovered.
The International Organization for Migration and the charity Save the Children said between 144 and 150 survivors arrived at Reggio Calabria, on Italy’s southern tip, on Tuesday morning.
« There were 400 victims in this shipwreck, which occurred 24 hours after (their vessel) left the Libyan coast, » Save the Children said in a statement, citing survivors.
« There were several young males, probably minors, among the victims » and also children among those rescued, the international NGO said.
IOM spokesman in Italy Flavio Di Giacomo told AFP several of the survivors had told his organisation there were between 500 and 550 people on board when the ship sank.
« We are continuing to investigate in order to understand how the shipwreck happened, » Di Giacomo said.
AFP