The International Organization for Migration (IOM)) in Rome informed the Egyptian Embassy in Italy that a boat carrying 250 illegal immigrants of different nationalities sank off the coast of Lamitoza city.
Ambassador Mohamed Abdel Hakam, assistant foreign minister for consular affairs and Egyptians abroad, said in a statement on Thursday that of the six Egyptian migrants on the boat, one was rescued and five were killed.
The boat left Libya and was heading for Italy when it sank. Italian authorities are searching for missing people, according to Abdel Hakam.
The diplomat said Egyptian authorities are trying to find information on the five dead citizens. Irregular migration from Egypt's North Coast to Italy has been an ongoing problems, especially when it became more difficult for Egyptians to leave from Libya.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
