Sea Watch said in a written statement on its website that the “violent and reckless behavior ” of the Libyan coastguard had caused at least five deaths. “Probably nobody would have had to die today if only we had the possibility to operate reasonably in a calm environment," said Sea Watch head of mission Johannes Bayer in the statement. “These deaths have to be blamed on the Libyan coastguard, who have obstructed a safe rescue with their brutal behavior ," he added. "Once the German NGO Sea Watch arrived on the scene where the Libyan coastguard was rescuing migrants, all migrants rushed to it -- even those who were saved and placed on board dinghies. According to the UN’s International Organization for Migration, at least 2,600 have died in the central Mediterranean migration route from Libya to Italy through Nov. 1.

Source: Libya Today November 07, 2017 01:07 UTC