14 bodies found as Irish Navy rescues hundreds from barge

Fourteen bodies have been discovered on an overcrowded barge in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Irish Navy said the remains were lifted along with 210 survivors from the wooden vessel around 80km (50 miles) off the Libyan coast.

There were 35 children among the rescued.

They are getting food, water and medical attention as part of an international migrant rescue mission.

The LE Niamh naval ship was sent to the scene, north west of the Libyan capital Tripoli, yesterday around 4:30pm, along with a Medecins Sans Frontieres vessel.

An Irish Defence Forces spokesman said: “During searches of the barge the crew of the LE Niamh recovered 14 bodies from below the deck of the barge.”

It is thought the doomed barge left Tripoli in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The remains were late last night taken aboard the naval ship, before it set off towards the port of Messina in Sicily.

The LE Niamh has so far rescued 1,280 migrants as part of the international humanitarian mission.