Tripoli, 28 August:
Thirty-nine emigrants are feared dead after their boat capsized off the Libyan coast on Sunday, Libyan and Egyptian officials . . .[restrict]have said.
On Monday, Egypt launched a search-and-rescue operation with the help of Libyan authorities, and it has been reported that five people have been plucked alive from the water, and three bodies recovered.
A local Libyan official had previously reported that just one survivor had been found, and it was he who alerted the authorities to the disaster.
It is understood that the boat sunk some three kilometres off the Libyan coast, close to the border with Egypt. The nationalities of those on board is not known.
It is believed that the men were attempting to reach Europe in search of a better life. Several hundred migrants perish attempting to make the journey on overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels every year. [/restrict]
