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By Libya Herald staff.
Tripoli, 31 August 2014:
The Tunisian Coastguard has recovered 42 bodies from the shoreline and the waters near Ben Guerdane over . . .[restrict]the past two days and expects to find many more in the coming hours. Ben Guerdane is one of the nearest Tunisian towns to the Libyan border.
Several days ago a boat carrying migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean capsized off the coast near Zuwara. It is thought that the bodies being recovered are those of some reported missing from that tragedy. They were said to be “badly decomposed.”
Among the 42 are women and children, some of whom were wearing life vests. Syrian identity papers were found on at least one of the bodies.
In news of another such tragedy, the Libyan Coastguard reported this morning a rubber boat carrying some 100 people has capsized near Garabulli, around 50 kilometres from Tripoli. The Coastguard has recovered 15 bodies, including two women and two children.
According to the UN’s refugee agency, the UNHCR, so far, in the course of this year, more than 100,000 immigrants have reached Italy’s shores by crossing the Mediterranean.
The International Office of Migration (IOM) has worried that the instability in Libya is making it easier than ever for criminal gangs to smuggle those hoping to reach Europe by attempting the risky crossing. The IOM has stressed the need for greater cooperation amongst the European Union and other bodies to stem the flow to prevent more of these tragedies. [/restrict]
