LOC21:50
18:50 GMT
GENEVA, March 29 (KUNA) -- The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on Wednesday said it was "deeply saddened" at the news of another shipwreck in the Mediterranean, which may have left up to 146 people dead or missing.
A boat is believed to have sunk near Italy's Mediterranean Lampedusa island with 147 passengers on board, including five children and several pregnant women, the UNHCR said in a statement.
A UNHCR interviewed the only survivor of the incident who said that the boat had left two days before from Sabratha, in Libya, and started taking on water after a few hours of navigation.
The young man, 16 years, survived the shipwreck by hanging to a fuel tank, until he was rescued by a Spanish ship of Operation Sophia, he added.
This latest tragedy comes as a stark reminder of the vital importance of robust search and rescue capacities, the statement said.
The recent increase of sea arrivals to Italy, with some 23,085 people in 2017 so far, and the lower quality of vessels used by traffickers, including flimsy inflatable rafts that often do not last throughout the journey, make these rescue operations more needed than ever before, the UN agency noted.
The UNHCR commended the action of the Italian Coast Guard in coordination with Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency. (end)
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