Fri Aug 19, 2016 20:12:25
Volunteers aboard a Spanish humanitarian aid vessel rescued dozens of migrants from small dinghies off the Libyan coast on Thursday (August 18), including one boat that was sinking.
The migrants, which included many children, came mainly from Syria or Bangladesh and were found floating in an area of the Mediterranean about 25 miles (40 km) north of Sabratha, Libya.
A total of 81 migrants were plucked from the sea by members of the Spanish humanitarian aid group 'Proactiva Open Arms' during the three rescue operations.
The non-governmental organization was alerted to the sinking dinghy by a distress call from Libyan fishermen who had spotted the migrants.
The bodies of five drowned passengers were later found by the Italian coast guard.
Proactiva Open Arms' ship, the "Astral", was joined by vessels of the Italian and German navies and three other humanitarian ships in the area that day.
The Italian coast guard ships rescued a combined 534 migrants from 11 boats.
Over 100,000 migrants have reached Italy by boat this year, according to the International Organization for Migrants, many from Libya.
Over 2,700 have died attempting to make the dangerous journey by sea.
S/SH 11
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