More African migrants perish off Libyan coast

More than 30 migrants died and 200 others were rescued on Saturday when their boats foundered off Libya´s western coast, the Libyan navy said.

The coastguard conducted two rescue operations off the city of Garabulli, 60 kilometres (40 miles) east of Tripoli, spokesman Colonel Abu Ajila Abdelbarri said.

He added that patrols had found 31 bodies and 60 survivors from one boat, along with a further 140 survivors from a second.

Recall that few weeks ago, thousands of migrants were saved from the sea near Libya during one of the busiest weekends of the year for rescue workers.

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Reports have it that more than 2,000 people were rescued in the last months and 3,000 on Saturday in dozens of separate rescues, the Italian Coast Guard said.

But at least 20 drowned as aid workers struggled to rescue more than 1,500 migrants in one ongoing operation. An eight-year-old boy was among the dead, rescue workers said.

The Migrant Offshore Aid Station (Moas) said its rescue started in the early hours of Saturday and had continued non-stop into Sunday afternoon. The group said it had rescued at least 453 people, but more than 1,000 remained in danger.