By John Philips
ROME
The Italian coast guard, merchant ships and Navy vessels saved as many as 3,690 migrants trying reach Italy from Africa over the weekend, officials said Sunday.
Nevertheless, at least 10 migrants died before rescuers could reach them, officials added.
Three of the dead were in a boat with 105 others on board. They were rescued 45 nautical miles northeast of Tripoli. Meanwhile, four other corpses were found on another vessel with 73 people aboard 35 miles northeast of Tripoli.
Three other migrants died after diving into the sea from a boat in an attempt to reach a tugboat that was approaching them to help.
The thousands of migrants saved arrived in the Sicilian and Calabrian ports Sunday and Monday.
