Fifty Mali migrants among hundreds drowned in Mediterranean

Reuters
Migrants disembark upon arrival at the Sicilian harbor of Catania April 24, 2015. An Italian coast guard vessel carrying 84 migrants rescued off the coast of Libya arrived at the Sicilian port of Catania on Friday morning. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi

BAMAKO (Reuters) - At least 50 Malians from the impoverished region of Kayes were among up to 900 migrants who drowned trying to cross from Libya to Europe this weekend, the government said on Friday. The deaths triggered worldwide outrage and prompted the European Union to agree to triple the size of its naval search mission in the Mediterranean at a hastily convened summit. "There were 24 survivors amongst which there were 12 Malians. Around 50 Malians drowned but that number could increase," said Kany Keita, spokesman for the Ministry for Malians Abroad. Nearly 2,000 people have died this year out of nearly 40,000 people recorded making the crossing. The Kayes region of western Mali, which borders Senegal, Guinea and Mauritania, has seen high levels of emigration for years. Many residents have found a home in the West African nation's former colonial ruler France.