"We thought the whole time we were going to die. With each shake, it was thought that the boat would capsize. There were children on board. We did not dare move for fear of causing a tragedy."
In Italy, it is by hundreds that migrants arrive each day in Sicily, Calabria and Lampedusa after being rescued in the Mediterranean by the Coast Guard. They are the survivors of a perilous sea voyage.
And then there are those who can not. Thursday 41 migrants we learned would be dead in the sinking of their boat. There were 45 on board. Only 4 survived. They were spotted by a helicopter before being rescued by an Italian military ship. They were taken to Trapani in Sicily. There they reported the doom of their craft companions.
Other migrants, landed in Palermo, told the clash that broke out on their boat. Apparently a fight between Muslims and Christians. 12 Christians were then thrown into the sea ...
All stories collected from these illegal bear witness to the fear and danger of this crossing. "We thought the whole time we were going to die, describes Mohammed, a Syrian refugee. At every jolt, it was thought the boat would capsize. There were children on board. We did not dare move for fear of causing a tragedy. "
Within days, more than 10,000 migrants have joined the Italian coast. Which is not without serious logistical problems. Local authorities and NGOs are calling for a much more substantial support from European leaders.
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