CAIRO (Sputnik) — The Egyptian criminal court on Sunday jailed 57 people over shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea that killed over 200 illegal migrants in September, local media reported Sunday.
On September 21, a ship with up to 600 undocumented migrants from different African countries sank in the Mediterranean Sea off the Egyptian coast. The Egyptian Coast Guard rescued around 150 people, more than 200 passengers died.
According to Al Shorouk newspaper, the defendants were charged with intentional use of watercraft that was not intended for transporting people, with the failure of providing those on board with life-saving equipment as well as causing danger to life of people. The were given sentences of up to 14 years.
In Egypt, there are several illegal organized groups that provide migrants with the chance to get to Europe by sea. The watercraft are usually in a poor condition and go out to sea overloaded with people, which leads to shipwrecks.
