Africa News
100 bodies wash up at Libyan coastal town─── 11:23 Wed, 15 Jul 2015
Valletta - As many as 100 bodies, presumably of sub-Saharan boat migrants, have washed up near the Libyan city of Tajoura, a Malta-based website on migration issues reported on Tuesday.
The bodies are believed to be victims of a shipwreck off the western coastal town, located about 10km east of Tripoli, the Migrant Report website said, quoting the Libyan capital's migration department spokesperson.
Tajoura is known as a departure spot for Europe-bound boat migrants.
Women and children were said to be among the dead, but authorities could not yet confirm the exact number of bodies found or their nationalities.
The bodies are being sent to a Tripoli hospital. If the number of dead is confirmed, it would be the biggest migrant tragedy since April 18, when 850 people perished in a single shipwreck off Libya.
According to the International Organisation for Migration, 1 914 migrants have died in the Mediterranean since January 1 compared to 1 031 in the same period of 2014.
But tragedies have become less frequent since May, following a decision by European Union leaders to expand search and rescue efforts.
