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Ten people were found dead in the lower deck of a severely overcrowded wooden boat off the coast of Libya, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has reported.
According to survivors, those who died on Tuesday suffocated after 13 hours on the cramped lower deck, where there had been a strong smell of fuel.
In a difficult operation, less than 30 nautical miles from Libyan shores, the MSF team onboard the charity’s chartered search and rescue vessel Geo Barents reached the boat carrying more than 100 asylum seekers attempting to reach Europe. Survivors told rescuers that there were people crammed on the lower deck who were unresponsive.
After 99 people, all showing signs of acute stress and trauma, were brought on board the Geo Barents, the rescue team found 10 dead bodies at the bottom of the boat.
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