Italian Coast Guard

More than 4,650 migrants were saved on Oct. 4 and 28 bodies recovered in more than 30 rescue missions off the Libyan coast, the Italian Coast Guard said on Oct. 5. 
This brings the total rescued in the last 48 hours to more than 10,000 refugees, and the death toll to 50 as people smugglers take advantage of relatively calm weather to push boats to sea. 

More than 4,650 migrants were saved on Oct. 4 and 28 bodies recovered in more than 30 rescue missions off the Libyan coast, Italian Coast Guard said on Oct. 5.

This brings the total rescued in the last 48 hours to more than 10,000 refugees, and the death toll to 50 as people smugglers take advantage of relatively calm weather to push boats to sea. 

About 6,055 migrants were rescued and 22 found dead on the perilous sea route to Europe on Oct. 3, one of the highest numbers in a single day, Italian and Libyan officials said. 

At least five migrants, including three children, died Oct. 28 after four boats sank between Turkey and Greece, as rescue workers searched the sea for dozens more, the Greek Coast Guard has said.

The Italian authorities have intercepted a Bulgarian-flagged yacht carrying 75 migrants four miles off the town of Tricase, Salento region, the Italian newspaper La Pepubblica has reported.

The migrants - 58 men, seven women and 10 children - were probably nationals of Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia, the newspaper reported on Sunday.

Some 3,700 migrants have been rescued off Libya's coast in a joint operation of Italian and French navy vessels on Saturday and early Sunday, according to the Italian Coast Guard.

The influx of refugees to Italy has drastically increased over the past few days, with most of them fleeing the civil war in Libya, according to the Italian Coast Guard.

Due to increasingly violent situations in the Mediterranean due to efforts to curb migrant smuggling, amongst others, the Italian Coast Guard has requests that its officers carry side arms.

According to an announcement, “officers face dangerous situations on a daily basis”.

The Italian Coast Guard rescued 970 migrants on Wednesday after smugglers put their cargo ship -- located sail in Greek waters the previous day -- on automatic pilot heading straight for a crash into the Italian coast and abandoned the command.

Seven people have lost their lives as a result of the fire that has raged on the Norman Atlantic ferry since Sunday morning, the Italian Coast Guard said on Monday.

The evacuation of all people aboard the burning ship is now complete. More than 400 passengers and crew have been rescued despite difficult weather conditions including strong winds and rough seas.