Italy takes in 6,000 migrants in 3 days

Italy’s coastguard and navy have rescued nearly 6,000 migrants since Friday as good weather encourages the desperate to set out on smugglers’ vessels.

Italy’s coastguard helped save 144 migrants yesterday from a capsized boat in the waters off Libya and spotted nine bodies. It was the most dramatic of numerous rescue operations that brought thousands to safety in recent days.

The overturned boat was spotted 130km north of Libya, coastguard Cmdr Filippo Marini said.