Libya’s coast guard reported that a boat that was carting at least 250 Africans to Europe has capsized just off the coasts of Tripoli, leaving dozens dead from drowning.
Coast guard spokesman Qassim Ayoub said officials have been finding and retrieving bodies up to 11 miles off the coast, The Associated Press reported. He also said that 36 have been saved — including a pregnant woman, AP reported.
The immigrants were fleeing an increasingly lawless Libya. The nation has been embroiled in unrest since dictator Mohammed Gadhafi was overthrown, and it’s not unusual for the coast guard to report drownings of those who have tried to flee for safer lands.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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