Libya Migrant Boat Sinks With More than 170 on board

Dozens of people are thought to have drowned after a boat loaded with migrants sank off the coast of Libya.
At least 170 passengers are reported to have been on board, but so far the coastguard has only rescued 17 people.

Underwater
Local fishermen raised the alarm at dawn on Saturday, saying that a boat had capsized in the sea east of Tripoli.
It had disappeared underwater by the time rescuers arrived at the scene, and the few people who were still alive were surrounded by the bodies of those who were not, coast guard official Mohammad Abdellatif told Reuters.

Coastguard officials said they had no boats of their own, so had to commandeer fishing vessels.
Militia gangs are fighting each other around Tripoli airport

The vessel was one of many that has set out from North Africa in recent months, heading for Europe.
These boats often come from Libya, where human traffickers are thought to be exploiting the current political turmoil.

Many boats are badly over-loaded and un-seaworthy, correspondents say.

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