At
least 28 migrants have been confirmed dead off the coast of Libya, and a lot
more still missing when a congested wooden boat carrying more than a thousand
was rescued on Tuesday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has
said.
According
to IOM, at least 50 migrants died from Monday to Tuesday and 10,000 were rescued
when more than 20 big boats took off for Italy.
According
to the French news agency, AFP, many died of suffocation in a three-level boat
on Tuesday. Smugglers are taking advantage of the good weather at sea pushing
as many boats as possible.
Graphic
photos from the newspapers showed dead bodies lying on top of each other. In a
three-level boat, the conditions down the other levels of the boat could not be
captured. But the photographer Mr Messinis acknowledged how devastating it was.
On
Monday alone 6,055 migrants were rescued.
It was the biggest operation in a day.
An Italian ship has rescued 725 migrants from a single rubber boat, said
the Italian and Libyan officials.
Many
smugglers are rushing against the approaching winter when the weather is usually
bad.
The
present figures show the death toll to have reach 3,100. The number that has
made it to Italy this year has also increased to 142,000, according to IOM.
The
majority, according to IOM, come from African countries such as Nigeria,
Eritrea, Guinea, Gambia, Sudan, Ivory Coast and Somalia.
