Italy rescues 91 irregular migrants in Mediterranean

The Italian Coast Guard rescued 91 irregular migrants and recovered the bodies of two others from a distressed boat drifting off the coast of Lampedusa Island in the Mediterranean Sea, authorities said Sunday.

In a statement, the Coast Guard Command said the rescue operation was launched after a Frontex surveillance aircraft detected the vessel about 16 nautical miles (29.6 kilometers) off Lampedusa.

Two patrol boats were dispatched to the scene, successfully bringing 91 people to safety.

During the intervention, the bodies of two men were also found inside the boat, the statement said, adding that all survivors were taken to Lampedusa and handed over to medical teams for health checks.

According to Italy's Interior Ministry, 55,948 migrants have arrived in the country by sea between the start of the year and Oct. 17, slightly higher than the 55,010 arrivals recorded in the same period last year.

The Central Mediterranean route — stretching between Italy, Malta, Libya and Tunisia — remains one of the most active and perilous migration corridors toward Europe.

Overloaded boats, dehydration, suffocation and engine fumes continue to claim many lives each year as migrants attempt the dangerous crossing to reach European shores.