DHAKA: About 250 people have been rescued from a migrant boat that capsized in the Mediterranean Sea.

A coast guard spokesman said that four ships were implicated in the operation, with helicopters on their way.

Hundreds of migrants were ‘in distress’ in the water. The boat was found in international waters, 75 nautical miles south of the Greek island of Crete.

Perfection in weather conditions has led to an increase in the numbers of boats crossing the Mediterranean.

The UN said that this week that more than 2,500 people had died in 2016 trying to make the journey towards Western Europe.

BDST: 1625 HRS, June 3, 2016
SAS/AKA