Only around 20 to 30 people have so far been rescued from the vessel, which went down in the Mediterranean off the western port of Zuwara, a coast guard official told AFP.
The migrants so far accounted for were of African origin, the official said, adding that rescue efforts were ongoing but would be "intensified" on Friday morning.
"We are working with very limited resources. Most of the boats we use are fishing boats that we borrow from their owners," he said.
The sinking comes a day after at least 55 bodies were discovered on three overcrowded migrant boats, all but four of the dead in the hold of one wooden vessel off Libya's coast.
Wednesday's gruesome discovery was made by a Swedish coast guard vessel whose crew plucked hundreds of other migrants from the waters off the North African nation.
People smugglers have taken advantage of the chaos gripping Libya since the 2011 uprising toppled dictator Moamer Kadhafi to step up their lucrative business.
But the Mediterranean crossing is treacherous, and more than 2,300 migrants and refugees have died trying to reach the European Union this year alone.
ahram.org.eg
27/8/15
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Migrant crisis: Libya boats capsize off Zuwara carrying hundreds...
ReplyDeleteHundreds of people are feared dead after two boats carrying up to 500 migrants capsized off the Libyan city of Zuwara, residents and officials say.
The first boat, which signalled for help early on Thursday, had nearly 50 people on board.
The second overcrowded boat, which sank much later, had about 400 passengers.
Officials said about 201 people had been rescued by the Libyan coast guard but many people appeared trapped in the hold when the boat capsized.
A detention facility for illegal migrants in Sabratha, west of Tripoli, received 147 people, an official told Reuters.
At least 100 bodies were taken to a hospital in Zuwara, west of Tripoli, a resident told the BBC..........http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-34082304
28/8/15
Mort d'au moins 76 personnes dans un naufrage au large de la Libye ...
ReplyDeleteAu moins 76 cadavres ont été récupérés et 198 personnes sauvées au large de la Libye après le naufrage jeudi d'une embarcation qui transportait environ 300 migrants, a indiqué vendredi à l'AFP un porte-parole du Croissant rouge dans un nouveau bilan.
Un responsable des gardes-côtes libyen avait fait état jeudi soir d'au moins 30 morts et de dizaines de disparus dans ce naufrage au large de la ville de Zouara, située à près de 160 km à l'ouest de la capitale libyenne Tripoli.
"Nous travaillons avec des moyens très limités"
"Les personnes qui ont été secourues et celles dont les corps ont été repêchés viennent toutes de pays africains", a-t-il poursuivi. Ce responsable, lié au gouvernement non reconnu internationalement et basé à Tripoli, a indiqué que les "gardes-côtes poursuivaient leurs opérations de secours qui s'intensifieront (vendredi) matin". "Nous travaillons avec des moyens très limités, la plupart des embarcations que nous utilisons sont des bateaux de pêche que nous empruntons à leurs propriétaires", a-t-il expliqué......rtbf.be