Italian authorities find bodies from sunken boat
Italian police divers and coastguard ships have pulled 12 bodies from the sea, bringing to at least 27 the number of illegal immigrants who died when their boat sank off Sicily at the weekend.
Fishermen alerted authorities after spotting the bodies, believed to have been Liberians, floating about 500ft from where the boat went down on Sunday, coastguard Commander Giuseppe Rando said.
The 12th body was found shortly before the search was called off at nightfall yesterday. The search will resume today.
Rescuers saved 92 people after the rickety boat sank in stormy waters off the southern city of Agrigento. Survivors have given varying figures on how many people were on board.
The bodies of 15 people - including four women and a 15-year-old girl - were recovered by Monday.
Two crew members, an Egyptian and a Liberian, have been arrested on suspicion of “facilitating illegal immigration”.
