Italy Rescues 91 Migrants off Lampedusa; Two Found Dead Below Deck

Italy Rescues 91 Migrants off Lampedusa; Two Found Dead Below Deck
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Italy’s coast guard rescued 91 migrants from a drifting boat off the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa on Sunday, Arab News reported. The vessel, spotted by an EU border agency aircraft about 16 nautical miles from the island, was reached by two coast guard patrol boats.

Officials said two men were found dead below deck, while several others were in critical condition. Among the survivors were 85 men, one woman, and five minors, with some airlifted to hospital. Fourteen migrants were reported to be in serious condition, three of whom required intubation.

According to Italian news agency Ansa, the deaths and illnesses were caused by petrol inhalation in the confined space. The migrants were from Pakistan, Eritrea, and Somalia. The incident follows another shipwreck Friday in which about 20 migrants remain missing.