More than 4,200 migrants rescued in Mediterranean Sea, 17 dead

The Italian coastguard said it had coordinated the rescue of about 4,200 migrants sailing across the Mediterranean Sea, but also found 17 corpses on several of the rickety boats. Distress calls were made from 22 different boats, many off Libya but also off the southern Italian coast. The total number of people rescued in 24 hours is one of the highest in recent years but the coastguard could not confirm if it was a record. So far, the busiest days this year have been the rescue of 3,791 migrants on April 12 and 3,690 on May 2.

It happens a lot in waves, you could have a few days where nothing happens, then there can be a high number of arrivals at the same time.

Flavio di Giacomo, a spokesman for the IOM in Italy

Italian authorities have in the past spoken of the harsh conditions faced by the migrants at sea, where they have to endure extreme weather changes and are at risk of hunger, thirst and violence on board the often crammed and flimsy vessels. Overall, more than 40,400 boat migrants – many of them fleeing conflict and poverty in countries such as Syria and Eritrea – have arrived in Italy since the start of the year, similar to the same period last year. So far this year, some 1,770 migrants have perished on the hazardous journey to Europe, according to a latest International Organization for Migration (IOM) report which does not include Friday’s rescue, a 30-fold increase on the same period in 2014.

World Migrants