Five dead migrants recovered in Mediterranean, 300 rescued

Rome: The bodies of five migrants were recovered in the central Mediterranean on Wednesday during rescue operations that saved 300 others, the Italian coastguard said.

The migrants were on board two inflatable dinghies and three small boats, the coastguard said in a statement.

The dinghies were helped by a charity boat and an Irish naval vessel, which rescued 118 people and found five dead bodies.

Some 145,000 migrants have been picked up and brought to Italy since the start of 2016. According to the UN, at least 3,626 people have died during the perilous crossings or are lost at sea.