More than 230 illegal immigrants drowned in the Mediterranean Sea.

In the Mediterranean Sea, turned the ship in which some 257 illegal immigrants from Africa trying to reach the shores of Italy. Libyan rescuers found alive about 20 of them, the fate of more than 230 people is unknown, it is assumed that all of them drowned, reports The New York Times.
The cause of the disaster became a panic on board the overloaded vessel. According to the testimony of survivors who arrived in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, in a strong wind gave the leaking hull. There was panic, most of the passengers gathered along one side, leaving the ship turned.
In anticipation of immigrants through more than eight hours spent in the water, trying to hold on to the hull. Of those on board the 70 women survived one of the two children who also took swimming, did not survive either one. During the rescue operation at the crash site found about 100 dead bodies.
Among the passengers who went to sea from the shores of Libya, were nationals of Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Gambia, Senegal, Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire. As the staff of the International Organization for Migration (International Organization for Migration, IOM), each of them paid the smugglers a few hundred dollars for the opportunity to cross the border into the EU.
Waterway from Libya across the Mediterranean to Italy is now one of the most popular routes of illegal immigration from Africa to Europe. In 2008, the UN, more than 36 thousand immigrants from North Africa were able to reach the shores of Italy. In most cases, are used to transport illegal immigrants unprepared to navigate ships and boats, where there are no simple means of salvation. Besides, they all went to sea with multiple overload that causes a large number of victims in the crash.
Libya and Italy have signed an agreement to combat illegal immigration and criminal structures, which in its profit. The last such agreement was signed in February 2009.