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Showing posts with the label Divers off southern Italy have been searching the wreck of a boat which sank on Thursday drowning more than 300 African migrants.

Italy sinking: Search resumes for missing migrants.

Most of those on board were from Eritrea and Somalia Interior Minister Angelino Alfano visited the island on Thursday evening Bodies were taken to a hangar at the airport, because the island's mortuary couldn't cope Pope Francis, visiting Assisi, described Friday as "a day of tears" for the victims. In July he visited the Lampedusa and condemned the "global indifference" to the plight of migrants trying to arrive there. Rising numbers Why people flee Eritrea and Somalia Eritrea: *.UN says 3,000 people try to flee each month *.Human rights groups say the country is becoming a giant jail, with some 10,000 political prisoners *.Young people conscripted to army - sometimes until age of 40 Somalia: *.Much of the country controlled by al-Shabab Islamist militants *.Country ravaged by two decades of war In a statement, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres commended the swift action taken by the Italian coast guard to save lives. Mr Gut...

Italy sinking: Search resumes for missing migrants.

Divers off southern Italy have been searching the wreck of a boat which sank on Thursday drowning more than 300 African migrants. The fishing vessel foundered less than 1km (half a mile) from the island of Lampedusa after it caught fire. At least 111 bodies have now been recovered and some 200 of those on board the 20m (66-ft) boat are still unaccounted for. Dozens of bodies are thought to remain in the sunken vessel. There were about 500 on board - most from Eritrea and Somalia, according to the UN. Rescuers saved 155. The diving operation had to be temporarily suspended due to choppy seas, Italian media reports say. Officials are quoted as saying some 100 bodies could remain in the wreck, which lies some 40m (132ft) below the surface. At the scene This raises questions about the role of smugglers. Because 500 people were crammed on board this small, 66ft-long boat. When the engine failed, there weren't any mobile phones or satellite phones to call for help. The passenger...