Dozens of migrants feared dead in another boat tragedy crossing the Mediterranean
Save the Children said rescued men told of 'dozens' of passengers drowning
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Your support makes all the difference.Dozens of migrants are feared dead after they fell from a dinghy while trying to cross the Mediterranean.
Survivors told charity workers in Italy that a commercial ship was nearing the vessel to rescue them on Sunday when an unknown number of passengers fell overboard and drowned because they could not swim.
The death toll of the latest tragedy is unknown but five dead bodies have been recovered so far and estimates range up to 40. The cause of death was unclear.
Save the Children said 137 people arrived safely in Sicily after being rescued from the dinghy but that three passengers told its staff "dozens" of people fell into the sea when they saw a commercial boat approach and drowned because they couldn't swim.
Another dinghy rescued by the same ship, the Zeran, had more than 100 people on board who all survived.
The migrants were from countries including Ghana, Gambia, Senegal and the Ivory Coast and at least 30 children and teenagers under the age of 18 were believed to be on the boat
Almost 7,000 people were rescued from the Mediterranean on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as smugglers in Libya took advantage of calm seas and warm weather to send thousands of would-be refugees on the perilous crossing.
Deaths from Sunday’s tragedy, if confirmed, come on top of the estimated 800 migrants who drowned last month when their boat capsized off Libya with hundreds of passengers locked in the hold by smugglers.
Just days earlier, a further 400 people were feared drowned in another accident.
The European Union agreed at an emergency summit to contribute more boats and patrol aircraft to Mediterranean rescue efforts but even with the increased response, commercial cargo ships are being called on by Italy's coast guard to respond to migrants in need.
Additional reporting by AP
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