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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
Asharq Al-Awsat

UN: Libya's Coast Guard Rescued 70 Europe-Bound Migrants

Migrants line up upon their arrival at a naval base after they were rescued by Libyan coastguard, in Tripoli, Libya August 29, 2017. REUTERS/Hani Amara

The UN refugee agency said on Sunday that Libya's coast guard has rescued about 70 Europe-bound migrants after days in distress in the Mediterranean Sea.

The people have disembarked back in Libya, UNHCR said. The previous day, it said a boat carrying at least 50 migrants capsized in the Mediterranean.

Coast guard spokesman Ayoub Gassim said the shipwreck took place off the western city of Misrata, 187 kilometers east of the capital, Tripoli.

Alarm Phone, an independent support group for people crossing the Mediterranean, said Saturday a second boat for migrants was in distress, with "about 56 lives at risk," the Associated Press reported.

Libya became a major conduit for African migrants and refugees fleeing to Europe after the uprising that toppled and killed Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.

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