A boat capsized off Sicily when the migrants aboard rushed to meet rescuers, killing at least 10 people, the Italian coastguard said Wednesday. "The migrants, as they frequently do, all rushed to one side of the boat which then capsized," Italian coast guard spokesman Filippo Marini told TV station SkyTG24, adding that many of the passengers did not know how to swim. Hundreds of people have died in recent months as waves of migrants from North Africa and Middle East conflict zones attempt to reach Europe, prompting criticism of rescue efforts.
The accident happened after a tugboat for Libyan oil platforms alerted authorities to the boat and an Italian coastguard vessel - already transporting 318 migrants who had been rescued earlier - headed to the scene.