On Friday, a boat carrying the bodies of ten migrants, who were discovered dead at sea, landed in Sicily, along with hundreds of individuals it rescued this week while attempting to cross the Mediterranean.
The bodies were discovered on an overcrowded boat, 30 nautical miles off the Libyan coast by the crew of the Geo Barents vessel, which is operated by the charity, Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
They are likely to have died of asphyxia after spending 13 hours on the bottom deck of the ship, where there was an overwhelming smell of petroleum, according to MSF.
MSF said that, 186 persons rescued in three different operations in the international waters will disembark in Messina, a port situated on the southern Italian island.
The migrants, largely from Africa, include 61 youngsters, the youngest of whom is only 10 months old.
MSF stated that the migrants who reached Sicily will get all the assistance they need, adding that those who died will now be given ‘a decent burial.’
The number of migrants arriving in Italy has increased dramatically in recent weeks, putting additional pressure on Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s administration to reach an agreement with European Union partners on how to cope with the surge.
According to the interior ministry figures, 59,702 migrants have arrived in ships, in Italy this year, up from 32,476 in the same period in 2020.
MSF said that around 1,200 individuals died on the treacherous maritime crossing to Europe in 2021.
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