ROME (Sputnik) – On Wednesday, a vessel from North Africa believed to have been carrying up to 600 people capsized and sank about 17 miles off the Libyan coast, reportedly killing at least 200 people.
The survivor total is estimated at 373, as six people were helicoptered to a hospital in Palermo Wednesday. The Irish vessel also returned the bodies of 25 dead, according to reports. The rescue operation, coordinated by the Italian coast guard, continues its search for survivors.
On Tuesday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) released a statement saying that over 2,000 undocumented migrants have died crossing the Mediterranean in 2015, fleeing conflict-torn home countries. Over 180,000 refugees have been recovered, according to the IOM.
The UN Refugee Agency documented 137,000 refugees crossing the Mediterranean Sea into Europe in the first six months of 2015, compared to 75,000 during the same period last year.
