25 found dead on refugee boat off Italy
ROME —
The Italian coast guard found 25 dead bodies in the hold of a refugee boat with 271 people crammed on board that arrived on the southern island of Lampedusa on Monday, local port authorities said.
It was not immediately clear how the refugees—all young men—had died but it may have been from asphyxiation due to crowded conditions.
The corpses were found while the refugees were being moved from their boat onto a coast guard vessel. They are now in a morgue on the island.
The 271 refugees found alive included 36 women and 21 children. Coast guard officials had earlier said that the number of refugees was 268.
Thousands of refugees fleeing Libya, most of them migrant workers from other parts of Africa, have arrived on tiny Lampedusa in recent weeks.
Hundreds have drowned in a series of accidents usually in stormy seas. The vessels used for crossings from Libya are often rickety fishing boats.
The journey from North Africa takes around two days.
© 2011 AFP
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14 Comments
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-2
tmarie
is this really news? Usually dead abroad these boats - or they get tossed overboard. Sad state of affairs not not surprising.
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Elbuda Mexicano
Such horrible, horrible news. RIP dead folk from North Africa dying near Italia.
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Fadamor
The article doesn't identify where these particular refugees came from. It only adds a comment after the fact that the island has received refugees from Libya lately.
@tmarie,
Yes, it is news. The fact that you know that there are "usually dead abroad (sic) these boats" means you've read about them before in the news. Or perhaps you feel that once one person is killed in a hit-and-run accident, there should never be articles about subsequent fatal hit-and-run accidents because it's no longer news?
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tmarie
No, I just don't see why this gets space when there are bigger issues for the world - like Syria.
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freakashow
And what makes you such an authority on what's "big" and what's not? For some, this is bigger news, and for others news in Syria is bigger.
Moderator
Readers, for your reference, there are stories about Syria in our World section.
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tmarie
Freak, it really isn't as it is an everyday occurrence.
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freakashow
tmarie, Yes, dead refugees on a boat have been an everyday occurrence IN RECENT WEEKS. Just like the killings in Syria have been an everyday occurrence IN RECENT WEEKS. So what's your point? So are you saying people dying in one country is more of a tragedy than people dying in another country?
-3
tmarie
In recent weeks? Are you kidding me? Do you have any idea how many boats from China leave a week?? No idea about the term "boat people"? Not exactly a new concept. Ask the Chinese, the Cubans, the Vietnamese... Why not look up "snake heads" and "boat people" and get back to me.
People getting killed in their home countries by their government is sadder to me than a bunch of people dying trying to flee or make a better life. Both are certainly tragedies but I see them very different in terms of being newsworthy.
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freakashow
tmarie: You should read the article carefully and not just look at the headline. This has nothing to do with boat people from China. Nor does this have anything to do with "snakeheads". These are refugees fleeing Africa. Besides, there are two articles already on JT about the killings in Syria. If you're so interested in it, why haven't you posted on those articles?
-3
tmarie
They are illegal immigrants just like the ones from the countries I have listed. Perhaps you should understand that refuges until they go through a very long process are exactly like those I already gave examples of. Do you honestly think these people didn't have to pay someone to get one those boats??
Do I have to post on threads to show interest?? And yes, two threads so something like this isn't newsworthy.
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freakashow
tmarie: So what you're saying is that as long as it's happened before, then it isn't newsworthy? Well, if I follow your logic, then you could also say that what is happening in Syria isn't newsworthy. After all, governments killing their own people been going on for ages. Look up Stalin, Hitler, and Hussein. You must have a short memory, because you don't even remember what Kadhafi did to his own people in Libya. They are all tragic news stories, but nothing new. Civilians get killed by their own governments constantly, and so what is happening in Syria is nothing new. From Africa, to South America, to Asia, and even to Europe, this kind of news has happened and been happening.
Bottom line is that IMHO, both types of news stories deserve to be reported.
Moderator
Stay on topic please.
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tmarie
I don't really think it is. You may agree. I don't.
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