The bodies of scores of refugees have been recovered by Libyan authorities responding to two off-coast sinkings of smuggling ships thought to be carrying hundreds of people.
A Red Crescent official told the Associated Press that 105 people have so far been confirmed dead, but it is feared that the total could rise as hundreds are still missing. On Friday, Libyan authorities were observed removing bodies from the waters off the coastal city of Zuwara — a launch pad for overcrowded refugee ships heading to Europe.
This latest incident of refugees dying at sea comes as European nations are confronted with an unprecedented refugees crisis fueled by chaos in the Middle East and North Africa.
The U.N. refugee agency says more than 300,000 migrants and refugees have sought to cross the Mediterranean this year — nearly 40 percent more than in all of 2014, which saw the highest numbers ever recorded. The vast majority are fleeing war, conflict or persecution in countries like Syria, Afghanistan and Eritrea.
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