Reply #14: African migrants fleeing Libya died at sea under NATO's eyes

[pinboy3niner]

Dozens of African migrants fleeing Libya died at sea in a failed attempt to reach Europe, even though they had apparently been spotted by NATO personnel, the Guardian newspaper reports.

The migrants' boat ran out of fuel and became lost in the Mediterranean in late March, drifting for 16 days. Of its 72 passengers, 61 died at sea of starvation and exposure, while two others died after the boat washed ashore near Misurata. The remaining nine were arrested by government soldiers, released after four days, and are currently hiding in Tripoli.

The Guardian learned that an unidentified military helicopter delivered food and water to the boat while it was adrift, that the Italian coast guard had been alerted to its presence, and that the boat had once drifted within site of an aircraft carrier - like the French Charles de Gaulle.

8:35am:
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog