The bodies of at least 85 migrants who drowned trying to cross the
Mediterranean were found washed up from the beaches of the coastal town
of Zuwara, on Thursday afternoon, June 2, a Red Cross official said.
They are believed to be migrants who perished in a
string of shipwrecks that took place inside Libyan waters late last
week. Al-Khamis al-Bosaifi said most of the migrants appeared to be from
sub-Saharan Africa, though their bodies were decomposed and it was not
clear when they drowned. The bodies of two children were among those
recovered.The coastguard in town last week intercepted more than 450 migrants in
four separate boats over Wednesday and Thursday. According to survivors
of two of the boats which were deflated, more than 100 people had
drowned.
Their deaths will add to a horrific tally from the last week of way, in
which an estimated 900 to 1,000 migrants lost their lives at sea outside
Libyan territorial waters.
A resident in Zuwara said that besides the bodies, empty dinghies are
also washing up. They are believed to be vessels which would have been
carrying migrants but are then abandoned following rescue operations.
More photos below…
Source: Reuters/Migrant Report
