Boat carrying 250 capsizes off Libya
24 Aug 2014 10:25 PM GMT
A Libyan coast guard official says a boat carrying over 250 migrants has capsized off the coast near the capital Tripoli. Abdel-Latif Mohammed said today that 16 people have been rescued since the coast guard was alerted to the incident late on Friday.
The body of an 18-month-old child was pulled from the water as rescue operations continued off the shores of al-Qarbouli, 50 kilometres (30 miles) east of the capital Tripoli. The migrants, mostly African nationals, were heading to Europe on a perilous journey that kills scores of people every year. Libya has grown increasingly lawless since the 2011 overthrow of dictator Moammar Gadhafi, making it a migration hub for sub-Saharan Africans.
The body of an 18-month-old child was pulled from the water as rescue operations continued off the shores of al-Qarbouli, 50 kilometres (30 miles) east of the capital Tripoli. The migrants, mostly African nationals, were heading to Europe on a perilous journey that kills scores of people every year. Libya has grown increasingly lawless since the 2011 overthrow of dictator Moammar Gadhafi, making it a migration hub for sub-Saharan Africans.
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