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Italian coast guard spots 2 migrant bodies off Sicily: media

Xinhua, February 19, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Italian coast guard on Friday spotted the bodies of two migrants at sea off the Sicilian city of Agrigento, ANSA news agency reported.

The coast guard reportedly sent a helicopter to patrol the sea stretch after police found a group of around 30 migrants who had just landed in a beach close to Agrigento, in southwestern Sicily.

Around 10 of the migrants were stopped by police, and they said there were around 40 of them in total when a boat left them at sea close to the coast.

As survivors gave to police conflicting versions of what happened, the coast guard decided to search the area. Search and rescue operations were still underway, ANSA said.

On Friday, European Union (EU) leaders agreed to implement existing agreements concerning the ongoing migration crisis hitting Europe, especially cooperation with Turkey in handling the crisis.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said last week that more than 80,000 refugees and migrants have arrived by boat in Europe during the first six weeks of this year, with more than 400 people having died making the journey. Endit