Saturday, March 01, 2014
TRIPOLI, Libya — An official in Libya on Friday said the country's coast guard has rescued more than 100 Somali migrants on a tugboat, that nearly capsized while trying to reach Europe.
Col. Ayoub Qassim said Friday that the migrants included men, women and children. Qassim said the coast guard found them Thursday a few miles off the coast near the capital, Tripoli.
Qassim told journalists that after being rescued, the migrants confessed to throwing seven people into the sea to stop the ship from capsizing.
Libya remains chaotic more than two years after the overthrow of dictator Moammar Gadhafi. That's allowed it to become a prime springboard for migrants trying to reach Europe. Scores die every year while making the dangerous journey in search of a better life.