By Moataz al-Majbari
BENGHAZI
At least 164 illegal African migrants are missing after their boat had sunk off the Libyan coasts, while 36 others were rescued, the Libyan navy said late Sunday.
"We managed to rescue 36 illegal migrants – 33 men and three women – after their boat sank around 10 miles off the coasts of Tajura [in the northwest]," navy spokesman Ayoub Qassem told Anadolu Agency.
"The sinking of the ill-fated boat, which was carrying 200 illegal migrants of various nationalities, was reported by Libyan fishermen to the navy," he added.
Dozens of bodies have been found floating in the area where the boat sank and the navy personnel are currently fishing them out, Qassem said.
Libya is a major transit point for African migrants seeking access to Europe, especially Italy, via the Mediterranean Sea.
From March to August of last year, more than 30,000 illegal migrants entered the troubled North African country, according to U.N. estimates.
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