30 dead in Libya boat capsize

At least 30 migrants have died and 200 have been rescued after their boat capsized off the coast of Libya .

According to several media reports, Saturday's sinking happened off the shores of Garabulli, a town some 37 miles (60 km) east of the Libyan capital, Tripoli.

The coastguard had conducted two rescue operations.

Patrols had found 31 bodies and 60 survivors from one boat, along with a further 140 survivors from a second.

Initial information indicates that the boat broke due to overcrowding of migrants, reported China's state-run news agency Xinhua.

Libyan navy last week rescued 450 illegal African immigrants in two separate operations off the coast of the capital Tripoli.

Migrants intercepted or rescued by the Libyan coastguard are usually held in detention centres to await repatriation, but waiting times are often long and conditions deplorable, the report said.