The men, aged between 21 and 24, were accused by witnesses of “branding with their knives the heads of those who did not obey orders, particularly Africans, while those of Arab origin were thrashed with belts”, police said in a statement.
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“Those who could not get out in time would have drowned almost immediately”, it said.
Migrants paid $1,200 to $1,800 each to cross the Mediterranean as they fled war, persecution and poverty.
When the trawler developed problems, “the smugglers called their people in Libya to ask if they could come back but were told to continue to Italy”, the organization said, citing one survivor’s account. Ships in the area including naval and commercial vessels help rescue more than 400 migrants.
Save the Children said three of the 25 bodies recovered from the sea were “very young” children.
The LÉ Niamh has rescued 125 people from a highly overloaded inflatable vessel 115km northwest of Tripoli in the Mediteranean.
Earlier, migrants were transfered to the rescued ship “Siem Pilot” after being found off the coast of Libya on Thursday.
Some migrants who fell into the water had life vests; others, struggling to swim, were tossed life vests by rescuers.
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More than two-thousand migrants and refugees have died so far this year trying to reach Europe by boat, compared with 3,279 during the whole of last year, according to the worldwide Organisation for Migration.
