The United Nations has said the death toll from weekend’s Mediterranean boat disaster is at least 800.
This followed the interview of some of the 27 survivors of the tragedy at the Italian port of Catania.
And this was disclosed by officials of the United Nations refugee agency and the International Organisation for Migration, who reported that some of the dead were children between the ages of 10 and 12.
Police at the port also confirmed a Tunisian and a Syrian man who were among the survivors had been taken into custody over suspicions they were members of a smuggling gang thought to have organised the fatal voyage.
“We can say that 800 are dead,” said Carlotta Sami, spokeswoman for the UNHCR.
“There were a little over 800 people on board, including children aged between 10 and 12. There were Syrians, about 150 Eritreans, Somalians … They had left Tripoli at about 8am on Saturday.”
Flavio Di Giacomo, IOM Italy spokesperson, added: “All the 28 survivors/witnesses have now talked to Italian officials. We believe these are likely to be [pretty] definite figures of what is the deadliest disaster in the Mediterranean to date.”