Boat Confirmed Sunk
One vessel has been confirmed by Libyan authorities to have capsized. It was a wooden fishing boat with a legal capacity of 50 persons and was attempting a crossing from Libya to Italy whilst carrying around 250 migrants. The boat set off from Sidi Bilal, near Tripoli, where survivors have said that it was already in a poor condition and possibly holed. The vessel is thought to have capsized 30 miles (48 km) off the Libyan coast on 27 March 2009 in high winds and seas. A search and rescue attempt was made on 29 March by the Libyan Navy, Italian Navy and local fishing boats and recovered 21 people alive from the upturned boat and a further 23 bodies. At least 10 Egyptians and 10 Gambians were amongst the dead, along with Tunisians, Palestinians and Nigerians. Those rescued were returned to Tripoli and 17 were admitted to hospital for treatment. A further 77 bodies have been washed ashore on beaches to the west of Tripoli, including at Sebrata, on 31 March, the same day that search and rescue efforts were called off and the Libyan authorities made the news public. The remaining passengers have been listed as missing, presumed dead.
Read more about this topic: 2009 Mediterranean Sea Migrant Shipwreck
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