Off the wire
• Seven farmers shot dead in western Mexico  • 1st LD: Greek parliament ratifies austerity bill ahead of Eurogroup meeting  • Libya asks Italy to arm anti-migrant smuggling patrol boats  • Urgent: Greek parliament ratifies multi-bill ahead of Eurogroup meeting  • Italy expecting offers for Alitalia  • Refugee children traveling alone increased five-fold since 2010: UN  • South Africa's ruling ANC decries surge of killing of women, children  • U.S. Treasury Secretary hopes tax reform be completed this year  • Spotlight: Turkey and Germany again at odds over Incirlik airbase  • Zimbabwe's Mugabe commissions upgrade project of main truck road  
You are here: 　 Home

Hundreds of migrants rescued off Libyan coast

Xinhua, May 19, 2017 Adjust font size:

Libyan coast guards on Thursday rescued 483 immigrants on a wooden boat almost broken down off the western coast of Libya, a Libya navy spokesman said.

Spokesman Ayob Qassem said the immigrants included 27 women and 8 children. Qassem also said the migrants are from Syria, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Ghana, and Bangladesh.

Three rubber boats were spotted by the naval patrol on Thursday where smugglers were boarding 40 migrants to send towards Europe, Qassem revealed. The immigrants were taken to an immigration receiving center in western Libya.

Due to the state of insecurity and chaos, Libya is a preferred point of departure for thousands of immigrants who want to cross the Mediterranean towards Europe, many of whom drown on the way. Endit