On a ship with 280 people, seven migrants died of cold while trying to cross the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy, local authorities in Italy announced this evening.
"Three people died in the boat, and four who had severe hypothermia died during the transfer to the island of Lampedusa," the local authorities said.
Italian media reported that the victims were from Bangladesh, while there were also migrants from Egypt, Mali and Sudan on board.
Many of them were found with frostbitten extremities and were transferred to the reception center in Lampedusa.
The number of migrant arrivals in Italy, which amounted to 2020 in 34.000, almost doubled and reached 64.500 people in 2021.
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