Italian divers continue search for missing migrants

Italian diving teams are continuing a search for bodies after a boat with more than 500 migrants on board smashed into rocks off the island of Lampedusa. At least four people have been pronounced dead.

The men, women and children who disembarked safely have been housed in reception centres before being ferried to other parts of Italy.

Pietro Carosia from the Italian Coast Guard said: “We think most were travelling as individuals, nobody could tell who was missing at the time of the accident and they all spoke different languages.”

The island of Lampedusa has been swamped with migrants fleeing the recent upheaval in the Arab world.

Meanwhile, the Council of Europe has called for an inquiry into the deaths of 61 migrants in the Mediterranean.

It is alleged that their boat, fleeing Libya, ran out of fuel and was left to drift despite encountering a number of European naval vessels.

Those on board died of malnutrition and dehydration.

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