Those pulled to safety were transferred to the island of Lampedusa by the Italian coast guard. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) quoted the same survivors but put the total death toll at around 240 people. The Italian coast guard said it had no information on the second reported rescue on Wednesday or the saving of two women. Over 4,000 migrants have died or are missing feared drowned after attempting the perilous Mediterranean crossing this year. In the second rescue, 147 people from Eritrea, Ghana, Sudan, Mali and Sierra Leone were pulled to safety, including 20 women, though only after some had fallen into the sea.

Source: Libya Today November 03, 2016 15:03 UTC