Hundreds of Migrants Drown in Mediterranean Sea

300 Migrants and Refugees Missing in Mediterranean

The missing, presumed drowned, were among migrants and refugees, mainly from Sub-Saharan Africa, who had left the coast of Libya in four dinghies.

Some 29 refugees and migrants died on Sunday from one dinghy, but 110 survivors landed in Lampedusa, after being rescued by Italian coastguard and a merchant vessel, said reports.

The survivors confirmed to UNHCR that they had left on Saturday, February 7, from Libya on four rubber dinghies without food and water. Only nine out of 216 passengers survived on two other dinghies, with the fourth one still missing.

“This is a tragedy on an enormous scale and a stark reminder that more lives could be lost if those seeking safety are left at the mercy of the sea. Saving lives should be our top priority. Europe cannot afford to do too little too late,” said Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR Europe Bureau Director.

At least 218,000 people, including both migrants and refugees have crossed the Mediterranean in 2014 and the trend is expected to continue in 2015, said UNHCR.

Related Links

• State of Emergency Declared in Sicily October 15, 2013
• Dozens Killed as Yet Another Migrant Boat Sinks October 12, 2013
• Hundreds Killed in Another Migrants Boat Disaster October 3, 2013

State of Emergency Declared in Sicily

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – October 16, 2013

Governor of Sicily declares a state of emergency amid migrant crisis

The declaration came after Italian navy said it hads rescued about 300 migrants from two boats near the island of Lampedusa, said a report.

At least 36 people were killed when their boat capsized between Malta and Lampedusa, on Friday.

Another migrant boat capsized on October 3, 2013 killing more than 350 migrants less than 600 meters from Lampedusa.

Recent disasters have occurred when boats overcrowded with desperate migrants capsize in the Mediterranean Sea. Source: UNHCR

Increasing number of people from Africa and the Middle East are fleeing war and poverty in search of a better life in Europe.

About 32,000 migrants have arrived in Italy and Malta so far this year, said UNHCR.

On average, about 1,000 migrants have been killed, mostly by drowning, over the past 25 years.

Related Links

• Dozens Killed as Yet Another Migrant Boat Sinks October 12, 2013
• Hundreds Killed in Another Migrants Boat Disaster October 3, 2013

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Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

NSA collects millions of e-mail address books globally: Report

T”he National Security Agency is harvesting hundreds of millions of contact lists from personal e-mail and instant messaging accounts around the world, many of them belonging to Americans, according to senior intelligence officials and top-secret documents provided by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden,” said the report.

NSA collected about 680,000 e-mail address books from Yahoo, Hotmail, Facebook, Gmail and others in a single day, or 250 million per year. Read more...

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Big tech companies plan to track you even more aggressively

Biggest tech companies like Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and a dozen others “are assembling new forms of online tracking that would follow users more aggressively… Microsoft is developing such a system, following, apparently, in the footsteps of Google.”

Read more….

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The Shutdown of the U.S. Government and “Debt Default”: A Dress Rehearsal for the Privatization of the Federal State System?

Read more…

Dozens Killed as Yet Another Migrant Boat Sinks

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – October 12, 2013

Yet another migrant boat sinks off Italy in last week’s Déjà vu

At least 36 people were killed when a boat carrying more than 200 migrants capsized and sank in the Mediterranean sea, said reports.

The boat capsized about 120km off the Italian island of Lampedusa, where at least 339 people drowned on October 3, when their boat capsized and sank less than 600 meters from the island.

Last week’s disaster occurred when a boat similar to the one above caught fire as it headed toward Lampedusa Island, south of Sicily. Source: UNHCR

Today’s incident was the third migrants boat disaster in the Mediterranean in two weeks. Thirteen people drowned off the southern coast of Italy on Monday September 30 after they attempted to swim ashore from a foundering vessel, said UNHCR.

In August, six migrants drowned after they jumped out of a boat off the coast of Sicily and attempted to swim ashore.

In July seven immigrants drowned as they held on to a fishing cage that was being towed to shore.

13 immigrants drowned off the coast of Sicily on Monday after they attempted to swim ashore from a foundering vessel. Photo credit: Reuters.

Sicily and the surrounding islands are ideal portals for desperate refugees and illegal immigrants from Libya, Tunisia, sub-Saharan Africa in search of employment and a better quality of life, said UNHCR.

Related Links

• Dozens Killed in Yet Another Migrants Boat Disaster October 3, 2013

Global Disasters Significant Events – October 7, 2013

China

• FITOW Turns Deadly

FITOW has so far effected more than 3 million people across 8 cities in the eastern coastal province of Zhejiang, Xinhua said, causing direct economic losses and damages of 2.28 billion yuan (~ $370 million).

United States

• Flooding in Kentucky, Raging Wildfires in California

California

San Carlos Declares State of Emergency Over PG&E Pipeline
“City officials in San Carlos, Calif. have declared a State of Emergency after a series of internal PG&E e-mails sparked safety concerns over a natural gas line that runs through the city. Issues with the gas line include certain sections made up of a “thin wall” pipe made in 1929 and external corrosion with fatigue cracks on the pipe. City leaders on Friday also requested PG&E shut down the pipeline until a hearing could be conducted with CPUC to address the issue. PG&E declined the request, according to city officials. The city on Friday night obtained a temporary injunction against PG&E in San Mateo County Superior Court requiring PG&E to immediately shut off service to pipeline 147. A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 24.” See full report…

Egypt

At least 55 killed, over 200 wounded amid new wave of protests in Egypt

Clashes between opponents and supporters of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi left at least 55 people dead and more than 200 wounded across the country on Sunday,  one of the bloodiest days since the “USrael-controlled” army seized power in a coup.

About 500 others were arrested, according to the

Protesters chanted: “The coup is terrorism” and “Sisi [the military ruler] is a killer.”

Army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the man who toppled Morsi said: “There are a lot of people who think Egypt’s army can be broken. Egypt’s army is like a pyramid but it is a pyramid because the people of Egypt support it.”

The military says it was responding to the will of the people. “We are answerable to God and to you Egyptians for the mandate [by the] Egyptian people towards the army and police to preserve Egypt,” said Sisi.

Italy

194 Bodies Found in Migrant Shipwreck Off the Coast of Sicily

Search teams have now recovered a total of 194 bodies in and around the vessel that sank on Thursday near the Sicilian island of Lampedusa.

Of the 518 African migrants on the boat 155 survived, which leave another 169 other missing presumed dead.

The 20-meter fishing vessel carrying mainly Eritrean and Somalian asylum seekers, including dozens of women and children, caught fire and sank early Thursday off the coast of Lampedusa, said reports.

Iraq

Another day of deadly violence ended Sunday with at least 46 people killed and 180 others wounded.

Suicide bombers. truck bombers, gunfire and IEDs were responsible for the carnage across at least 7 Iraqi death centers of Baghdad,
Qabak, Tal Afar, Mosul, Kirkuk, Dour and Tuz, said reports.

• October casualties as of October 6, 2013: at least 229 civilians killed.

The 2013 casualties has so far reached at least 6,331 civilians killed an more than 12,700 others wounded.

Continued…

Dozens Killed in Yet Another Migrants Boat Disaster

Migrants Boat Capsizes Near Lampedusa, Italy, Killing Dozens

A boat carrying hundreds of immigrants capsized near the Italian island of Lampedusa, south of Sicily, killing at least 96 people.

There were at least 450 people on board when the boat capsized, Ansa news agency reported. Italy’s Coast Guard has reportedly rescued about 147 people so far.

“Of the estimated 500 passengers on the boat, believed to be Eritreans, only 147 have been rescued so far. The boat, which originated from Libya, caught fire half a mile from the coast.” UNHCR  reported.

Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta has described the incident as an “enormous tragedy.”

Thursday’s disaster occurred when a boat similar to the one above caught fire as it headed toward Lampedusa Island, south of Sicily. Source: UNHCR

Today’s incident was the second migrants boat disaster this week off Italy’s coast. Thirteen people drowned off the southern coast of Italy on Monday after they attempted to swim ashore from a foundering vessel, said UNHCR.

In July seven immigrants drowned as they held on to a fishing cage that was being towed to shore.

13 immigrants drowned off the coast of Sicily on Monday after they attempted to swim ashore from a foundering vessel. Photo credit: Reuters.

Sicily and the surrounding islands are prime targets for desperate refugees and illegal immigrants from Libya, Tunisia, sub-Saharan Africa in search of employment and a better quality of life.