Police and rescuers stand by the bodies of migrants on a beach of the Sicilian city of Catania on August 10, 2013.
The dead bodies of six African migrants have been found in the Italian island of Sicily after their boat stranded off a popular holiday beach.
The victims drowned on Saturday when they tried in vain to swim to shore in a desperate attempt after the fishing boat carrying them ran aground on a sandbar near the city of Catania.
They drowned as they did not know how to swim.
Authorities say nearly 100 other migrants — thought to be Syrians and Egyptians — were rescued from the stranded boat.
Coastguard Captain Roberto D’Arrigo said the boat apparently made a navigational error while trying to reach secluded shores undetected.
“Usually migrants aim for the closest coast and land as soon as they see it. Therefore, we are pretty much convinced that this was probably a mistake by those who were at the helm of the boat,” he said.
Each year, thousands of sub-Saharan migrants seek to reach Europe through Italy. Many of them drown or die of dehydration and their bodies are tossed overboard, according to survivors’ accounts.
The migrants receive expulsion orders unless they can prove they have jobs or families awaiting them in Europe or are eligible for political asylum.
MRS/AS
Republished from: Press TV