Over 600 migrants, baby's corpse reach Sicily

Rome, June 28 (IANS/AKI) A rescue shop docked in the Sicilian port of Pozzallo on Wednesday with more than 600 migrants on board as well as the body of a newborn baby, Italian officials said.

The baby was born during the Mediterranean crossing, according to the officials.

The Italian Coast Guard, charity ships and navy vessels on Monday saved 5,000 people in the Mediterranean in 23 rescue operations as the migrant influx continues amid warmer summer weather and calmer seas.

Around 84,000 migrants arrived in Europe this year from June 21, nearly 85 percent of them in Italy, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM or UN migration agency).

Over 2,100 people perished on the journey over this period, according to the IOM.

--IANS/AKI

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