Over 1,400 die trying to reach Italian shores

May 26th, 2011 - 12:23 pm ICT by IANS  

Rome, May 26 (IANS/AKI) Over 1,400 migrants have died this year while trying to reach the Italian shores from conflict-hit North Africa, according to a report.

The report was published by Fortress Europe, an Italian blog that tracks deaths through media reports.

Till May 23, at least 1,403 people died in the Strait of Sicily on board boats sailing toward the island of Lampedusa - close to Africa - while 1,510 lost their lives in the entire Mediterranean region, the site said.

Over 30,000 people have come on board ships mostly from Tunisia and Libya, amid uprisings and civil war.

Italian police last week rescued about 500 migrants from Libya after a fire broke out on their boat.

–IANS/AKI
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