UN says 400 African migrants (who were evacuating Libya) feared drowned in Mediterranean

[Turborama]

Source: The Guardian

Boats that set out from Libya over a week ago have disappeared, says UN official

Tom Kington | Sunday April 03 2011 20.38 BST

More than 400 African migrants seeking to travel to Italy on two vessels are feared drowned after going missing days ago in the Mediterranean, a UN official hassaid.

As Italy began the evacuation from Lampedusa of the 3,000 Tunisians who have reached the island since the collapse of the Tunisian government in January, another 362 migrants arrived in leaking vessels by mid-Sunday.

But two boats that reportedly set out from Libya on 22 and 25 March, one carrying 335 Eritreans and the other 68 Eritreans and Ethiopians, have disappeared.

"We are urging the coastguard to carry on searching since even after 20 days at sea, some people can survive," said Laura Boldrini, a UN spokeswoman.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/03/lampedusa-african-migrants-feared-dead

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I saw a report on AJE about this saying that about 60 bodies had landed on the coast of Malta at the time, will add it here when I can find it.

Thanks to joshcryer for the http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=804896&mesg_id=806464">heads up on this article