Some 18 migrants who tried to
sail from Libya to Italy on an inflatable raft likely died of
dehydration and hypothermia, authorities said Friday.
The bodies and the craft were found about 100 miles south
of the island of Lampedusa, Italy's southernmost point and
frequent destination of migrants fleeing Africa for Europe.
Another 76 migrants were rescued, authorities said.
One migrant who was rescued died soon after, raising the
death toll from the initial count of 17.
Italian Coast Guard and Navy ships as well as private
vessels answered distress calls, found the dinghy and rescued
others on board.
It was one of the first rescues since an European Union-led
initiative Triton took over from Italy's Mare Nostrum migrant
rescue program a month ago.
Previously, two other operations were carried out by Navy
vessels - patrol vessel Cigala Fulgosi and corvette Driade -
rescuing respectively 102 and 100 migrants aboard boats south of
Lampedusa.
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