Updated: 3:45 pm
Another ship carrying over 230 migrant workers to Italy sank Friday off the coast of Lampedusa, leaving hundreds of people stranded in the water. Rescuers have already saved at least 221 people, but at least 9 people are confirmed dead, the AP tweeted.
The ship was carrying migrants from Tunisia when it capsized near the coast of Lampedusa, Reuters reports. A spokesman for the Italian navy said that helicopters were picking people out of the water and that two navy ships were on the scene.
The incident comes just over a week after 319 people drowned when another migrant ship sank off the coast of Lampedusa. The small island is just 180 miles off the coast of Africa, and is a crucial destination for migrant ships heading to Europe.
[Reuters]
[AP]