22 people, all from Mali, have been killed in a shipwreck off the coast of Libya. The UN reports this on the authority of survivors. They have reported people who have drowned or died from dehydration.
After nine days at sea in an inflatable boat, 61 survivors, mostly Malians, have been rescued by the Libyan coastguard, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports.
The migrants set off from the Libyan town of Zuwara, close to the Tunisian border, in an inflatable boat on June 22, IOM spokesman Safa Msehli said.
“After nine days at sea, they were picked up by the Libyan coastguard,” the spokesman said. They were back on land on Saturday. “According to the survivors, 22 migrants, all from Mali, died during the journey. The reported causes of death are drowning and dehydration. Three children are among the dead,” the spokesman said.
According to the spokesman, some migrants were in very bad health and were immediately transferred to hospitals. “The other migrants have been taken to the Al-Maya detention center,” it said.
Libya has become a major route for illegal migration to Europe in the chaotic years following the 2011 overthrow of dictator Muammar Al-Gaddafi during a popular uprising supported by NATO.
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