- Candle-lit memorials held on beach in Malta and Rome’s Verano Cemetery
- In memory of Libyan refugees who died on a smugglers’ vessel on Sunday
- Italian coast guard has rescued hundreds more fleeing war in Africa since
wo moving candle-lit vigils have been held to remember the 900 migrants who died when their boat capsized en route to Europe from Libya this weekend.
As people lay candles by the sea in Valetta, Malta, an equally emotional memorial service was taking place in front of Rome’s Verano Cemetery.
The deadliest migrant tragedy on the Mediterranean so far took this year’s death toll on the waters to a staggering 1,800.
It came as three other people – including a tiny child – died when a rickety wooden boat ran aground on the Greek island of Rhodes.
And the relentless tide of migrants escaping the war-torn country of Libya has continued since the tragic wreck this weekend.
The UN said that 23,500 migrants had sailed to Italy this year in addition to 12,000 who had sailed to Greece.
But an emergency meeting of EU leaders in Brussels today will announce that only 5,000 refugees who survive the perilous journey will be granted safe haven in Europe and the rest will be sent back, the Guardian has reported.
Mourning: Hundreds of emotional people lay candles by the sea in Valetta, Malta (pictured) to remember the victims of the tragedy
Heart-broken: Some could not hold back the tears as they remembered those who died in one of the Mediterranean’s deadliest ever migrant tragedies
Refugees: The endless tide of migrants fleeing war and persecution in Africa has continued since the tragedy, with the Italian coast guard rescuing dozens more off the coast of Sicily yesterday (pictured)
Escape: Infra-red images showed the few people who were rescued off Libya’s coast on Sunday, while over 900 tragically died
Remembrance: The memorial service in Malta’s capital Valetta (pictured) honoured the 24 bodies recovered from Sunday’s disaster
Solidarity: An equally emotional memorial service was taking place in front of Rome’s Verano Cemetery (pictured)
Moving: Catholic association activists prayed with candles in Rome (pictured) to remember the victims of this weekend’s disaster
Italy’s coast guard rescued another 220 migrants from two large rubber boats around 40 miles from the Libyan coast yesterday.
Another 545 – many of whom were not even wearing shoes – were taken to the port of Salerno just south of Naples.
A further 446 migrants of Egyptian, Syrian, Sudanese, Somalian and Eritrean origin arrived in Sicily after being rescued from a rickety fishing vessel.
The memorial service in Malta’s capital Valetta honoured the 24 bodies recovered from Sunday’s disaster when the smugglers’ boat capsized near Libya with hundreds trapped inside.
Only 28 people were rescued and the bodies of most of the desperate migrants were never recovered.
Two survivors were arrested as they stepped onto Sicilian soil – 24 hours after their boat capsized -killing around 900 people in one of the worst maritime tragedies in recent history.
