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UPITRIPOLI, Libya, March 31 (UPI) --
High winds and turbulent seas capsized boats carrying African immigrants bound for Europe off the coast of Libya, with hundreds feared dead, authorities said.
The International Organization for Migration said Tuesday at least two vessels carrying illegal migrants from North Africa experienced trouble off Libya's coast and more than 200 people may have drowned since setting sail Sunday, The New York Times reported.Jean-Phillipe Chauzy, an International Organization for Migration spokesman, said strong winds could have caused one ship to capsize as it tried to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy.
Another International Organization for Migration official, Lawrence Hart, said a vessel carrying 356 migrants was towed back to Libya.
"A tragedy has happened off the Libyan coast with at least two boats going down ... with obviously hundreds of people going down at sea," Chauzy said.
The International Organization for Migration has headquarters in Geneva.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/03/31/Hundreds_die_as_migrant_boat_sinks/UPI-98241238499396/