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9 bodies found on Sicily boat
18/11/2005 12:19 - (SA)
Rome - The bodies of nine migrants have been recovered from a boat that arrived on Sicily's southern coast on Friday.
Port authorities said more people are feared dead. About 100 migrants survived.
Giuseppe Giacobbe, an official from the port authority in the Sicilian town of Catania, said the boat washed up near Ragusa before dawn. Rescuers were unable to reach it because of bad weather.
According to Giacobbe, authorities are unsure how the nine migrants died.
He said the survivors claimed to be from north Africa and that there had originally been some 200 people on board.
The bodies of two women were among those recovered.
Ten migrants were taken to a local hospital for treatment. Officials are unsure where the 15 metre wooden boat had departed from.
On Thursday, Maltese authorities alerted their Italian counterparts that the boat was heading for Italy. The Italians were unable to intercept the boat during the night because of strong winds and rough seas.
The nine mark the latest deaths in innumerable failed crossings between northern Africa and Italy.
Thousands of would-be immigrants attempt the journey each year, many in ill-equipped vessels. The trips are often organized by human traffickers operating in north African countries such as Libya and Tunisia, who receive payment from migrants for the crossings.
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