Migrants' Freezing Deaths Pressure EU Mediterranean Patrols

In temperatures close to freezing and waves eight meters high, the Italian coast guard vessels took the migrants on board. Several had already died from exposure to ocean waters, but many more succumbed to early-stage effects of hypothermia after 18 hours on the open-deck rescue boats. As the coast guard vessels returned to the Italian island of Lampedusa early on Monday, body bags were loaded onto the dock in a grimly familiar sequence of events. At least 29 people had frozen to death...

© La Voix de l'Amérique - mardi 10 février 2015