Coast Guards, Navy Patrols, Ships Rescue 500 Migrants In Lampedusa Shipwreck

Over 500 migrants were rescued on Friday near the Italian coast, a week after a tragic shipwreck off the island of Lampedusa claimed hundreds of lives.
The Italian Coast Guard said passing cargo ships and a navy patrol boat were involved in the salvage operations, which were launched hours after a group of 210 people launched a distress signal from two rubber dinghies located in Libyan territorial waters.
The rescued migrants - 503 in total - were being escorted to the Sicilian towns of Porto Empedocle, Trapani and Syracuse.
In Lampedusa, Italy's southernmost territory and a primary entry point for undocumented migrants, officials found the 312th victim of the Oct. 3 shipwreck that had sailed off from Libya with an estimated 500 would-be refugees from Eritrea.
There were 155 survivors from the accident, the worst in recent European history.
On Thursday, rescuers said there were no more victims inside the sunken vessels, but searches were continuing for bodies floating at sea. (dpa/NAN)