Off the wire
• 1st LD Writethru: China bans imports of DPRK raw minerals, aviation fuel exports  • Spanish treasury places 4.607 bln euros on market  • China pledges to perform role well as Security Council presidency  • Urgent: Armenian, Azerbaijani Defense Ministries confirm ceasefire agreement in Nagorno-Karabakh  • Burkina Faso president concerned over country's financial status  • Weak int'l demand hinders German manufacturing orders in Feb.  • Norway's sales of petroleum products decrease in 2015  • Iraqi forces retake main gov't buildings from IS in Anbar  • Guangzhou Evergrande tie Urawa Red Diamonds 0-0 at 1st half  • Chinese, Vietnamese police cooperate in nabbing fugitives  
You are here: 　 Home

16 bodies recovered as migrant boat capsizes off Egypt coast

Xinhua, April 5, 2016 Adjust font size:

At least 16 bodies have been recovered from the Mediterranean Sea after an illegal migrant boat capsized on Thursday in northern Egypt, official news agency MENA reported on Tuesday.

"River rescue police have found four victims on Tuesday, raising the total number of the recovered bodies to 16," MENA added.

The residents found some bodies floating in the sea on Thursday night.

The boat sank off Burullus town of Kafer el-Sheikh province, some 230 km north of the capital. It was carrying 105 people from different nationalities -- 18 Egyptians, 74 Somalis, 11 Syrians beside a Sudanese and one Palestinian -- on their way to Italy.

Italy has been a frequent destination for undocumented migrants.

Kafer el-Sheikh also has been a hotspot for migrants in Egypt seeking illegal entry to Europe by sea.

International migrant advocates have reported that at least 1,800 people drowned in 2015. Endit