Two boats carrying hundreds of people from various nations
capsized near the Libyan city of Zuwara, killing at least 112 people, officials
said Friday.
At least 198
people have been rescued, while 30 to 40 others remain missing, said Mohammed
Al-Misrati, a spokesman for the Libyan Red
Crescent.
One of the boats
went down Wednesday, while a second one capsized Thursday, he said.
The Red
Crescent, along with the Libyan coast guard, rescued dozens of people from
African countries and from Syria.
Hundreds of
migrants have attempted to reach Europe by land and sea. So far this year, at
least 2,373 have died as of this week, the International Organization for Migration said.
The death toll
for all of last year was 3,281, and experts fear this year's total could
surpass that if boats carrying migrants continue making the perilous journey in
uncertain weather.
They come from
more than 20 countries, drawn to Libya as a funnel to Europe. Most are escaping
war and persecution, while others are hoping for a better life.
Earlier this
week, the Italian coast guard said 54 people lost their lives trying to cross
the Mediterranean, highlighting once again the scale of the migration crisis
gripping Europe.
In Austria,
dozens of refugees -- most likely
fleeing war-ravaged Syria -- died of suffocation inside an abandoned truck on a
highway, authorities said Friday.
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