25 migrants found dead on boat to Italy
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 1 August 2011 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 25 migrants found dead on boat to Italy, 1 August 2011, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4e4a291528.html [accessed 31 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
August 01, 2011
Italy's coast guard has found the bodies of 25 would-be migrants in the hold of a boat crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa to the Italian island of Lampedusa.
Officials said they found the corpses – all young men – crammed into a small space between the hold and the engine room.
The cause of the deaths have not been confirmed, but officials said they thought the men died of asphyxiation.
The boat, which had set sail from Libya two days ago, was carrying 296 people.
Reports said that as the air became unbreathable due to engine fumes, the 25 men tried to exit but were pushed back by other migrants because there was no space on the overcrowded deck. Some 33,000 people fleeing unrest in North Africa have arrived in Lampedusa since January.
compiled from agency reports
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
