Dozens of Migrants Feared Dead as Boat Deflates on Mediterranean Sea

Dozens of migrants are feared dead after a boat they were traveling in deflated, causing them to drown in the Mediterranean sea.

The incident occurred just as a rescue vessel was approaching the boat, BBC reports.

One of the migrants who survived, Astoy Fall Dia from Senegal, recounted her ordeal to newsmen. She stated that she heard a loud noise that sounded like an explosion before the boat began to sink, just near the rescue vessel.

“There was the big ship there and they threw down ropes, someone grabbed on to the rope, all the other people started pushing to try to save themselves but then people started falling in the water,” she said.

She explained that she managed to survive because she knew how to swim and stayed close to the dinghy.

So far, ten bodies have been recovered.

CNN reports that “as of mid-April, more than 1,700 people had died or gone missing this year in the sea that touches Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.”

Photo Credit: BBC