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Migrant death toll in shipwreck off Egypt rises to 300

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ANI London [UK]
Last Updated : Sep 24 2016 | 6:07 PM IST

The death toll in this week's latest shipwreck rose to about 300 on Friday after the sinking of an overloaded ship off Egypt's Mediterranean city of Rosetta.

With this, the number of drownings in the Mediterranean in 2016 are expected to easily surpass last year's record figure of 3,771, reports the Guardian.

Egyptian officials have rescued about 160 survivors from Wednesday's shipwreck, leaving about 150 people still unaccounted for, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

Those confirmed dead include 10 women and a baby, taking the estimated number of migrants to die in the Mediterranean so far this year to more than 3,500.

The number of people trying to reach Europe has fallen significantly since last year's record levels, as a result of the deal struck between the EU and Turkey and the closure of a humanitarian corridor between Greece and Germany.

Libya remains the most popular departure point in north Africa, particularly for people fleeing war, poverty and oppression in Nigeria, Eritrea, Gambia and Sudan. Several thousand migrants also leave from Egypt every year.

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First Published: Sep 24 2016 | 5:32 PM IST

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