Navy rescues 370 migrants in Sicily

Italy’s navy rescued about 370 migrants in the waters between Sicily and Libya yesterday as the government deployed ships, helicopters, and drones to help avert further shipwrecks that have already drowned hundreds this month.

A naval frigate and a patrol boat brought some 290 people, mostly Syrians, Somalis and Eritreans, to the tiny southern Italian island of Lampedusa after two migrant vessels used satellite phones to dial for help late on Monday, the navy said.

A Panamanian vessel later picked up about 80 people adrift in Libyan waters and took them to Sicily.

The migrant boats risked the dangerous sea passage despite a wreck on Oct 3 that killed more than 360, mostly Eritreans, less than 1km from Lampedusa. Last Friday, at least 34 more migrants drowned when their boat capsized. Officials say the true figure may be above 200.

Lampedusa, which lies southwest of Sicily and just 70 miles from the coast of Tunisia, has been a stepping stone for migrants seeking a better life in Europe for two decades.