146 migrants die in latest boat tragedies on the Mediterranean Sea

USPA News - At least 146 migrants who were attempting to travel by boat from North Africa to Europe are feared to have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea in two separate boat tragedies off the coasts of Libya and Tunisia, officials said on Sunday after scores of bodies were recovered during the weekend. The worst accident happened off the coast of Qarabouli, which is to the east of the Libyan capital of Tripoli, where an inflatable boat carrying at least 105 people ripped apart.

The bodies of the victims were recovered on Sunday after the Libyan coastguard came across floating bodies during a routine patrol. The news followed a similar tragedy in Tunisia where the coastguard said it had recovered the bodies of 41 migrants, including five children and eight women, after several decomposed bodies washed ashore on Friday near the town of Ben Guerdane, which is close to the border with Libya. It is believed the accident happened on Wednesday after the boat left Libya with mostly Syrian refugees on board. It was not known how many people were on board the boats, which were both believed to be heading to Italy. The latest boat tragedies happened just days after more than 315 migrants died in three similar accidents on the Mediterranean Sea. The worst accident happened on August 22 when a boat overturned near Tripoli, killing all but 19 of the more than 270 migrants on board. The other accidents also happened off the Libyan coast. The United Nations believes at least 2,035 people have died so far this year while attempting to make the dangerous journey from North Africa to Europe. More than 600 people hoping to reach safety in Europe drowned or went missing in 2013, making the Mediterranean Sea the world`s deadliest stretch of water for migrants and refugees. At least 500 died in 2012 and around 1,500 in 2011. So far this year, a record 108,000 migrants have arrived to Italy by sea, most of whom are fleeing either the worsening security situation in Libya or the raging civil war in Syria. The numbers surpass the record 63,000 migrants who were rescued by Italy in 2011 at the height of the Arab Spring. Some 15,000 migrants have also arrived in Greece this year.