90 migrants, mostly Pakistanis, believed dead in shipwreck off Libya

GENEVA (REUTERS) - An estimated 90 migrants are feared to have drowned off the coast of Libya after a smuggler's boat capsized early on Friday (Feb 3), leaving three known survivors and 10 bodies washed up on shore, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said.

Survivors told aid workers that most of the migrants on board were Pakistanis, who form a growing group heading to Italy, IOM spokesman Olivia Headon, speaking from Tunis, told a Geneva news briefing.

"They have given an estimate of 90 who drowned during the capsise, but we still have to verify the exact number of people who lost their lives during the tragedy," she said.

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