“Rubber dinghy sunk north of Tripoli. Although the number of people that drowned was not certain but at least over 22 people died in the incident. The Italian navy on the scene,” the German charity Sea Watch had said on Twitter.
The Italian coast guard told AFP 85 people had been rescued from the sinking vessel, and eight bodies recovered so far.
It was believed to be the first shipwreck of 2018 — though rescue organisations say countless dinghies attempting to cross the Mediterranean are likely to sink without a trace, meaning the year’s death toll may have begun even earlier.
The alarm was sounded after a surveillance aircraft deployed in the EU anti-trafficking mission Sophia spotted the partly-submerged dinghy some 40 miles off the Libyan coast, in international waters.
“Shipwreck off the coast of Libya, east of Tripoli. Dozens of people missing already,
Sea Watch said it had been alerted to the disaster by the coast guard, which believed 150 people had been aboard.
“The search continues for survivors,” so said the coast guard, which was aided in the rescue by a navy vessel.
