New details have emerged related to the story of the migrants’ boat that capsized last Friday off Libya after some of the survivors were interviewed by a joint team of international and Libyan observers.

According to the survivors, the boat left at 5a.m. from Janzour, 15 kms west of Tripoli, on Friday 27 March 2009, and it capsized at 8a.m., three hours from departure.

The smuggler who the survivors said was Egyptian also died along with others including 70 women and 2 children.

The information which released on Wednesday by the IOM office in Tripoli did not say exactly how people were on the boat. However, the number was said to be 257 people.

A joint team interviewed the 20 survivors at Touisha Centre south of Tripoli. The other survivor, a woman, remains in hospital.

The team included people from International Organization for Migration (IOM), UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Libyan NGO International Organization for Peace, Care and Relief (IOPCR).
The survivors said the reason of capsizing was due to bad sea conditions. As the passengers noticed some leaking on the boat they went into panic and led to the tragic incident.

The 20 survived, ages between 18 and 24 years, were able to manage to stay on the back of the boat which was the only part to remain afloat. At 4pm Libyan vessels managed to rescue them.

They came from Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Gambia, Senegal, Cameroun, Ivory Coast and Nigeria.

Although physical conditions appear not to be dramatic of the 21 people who survived the ill-fated boat, the victims remain shocked.
However, there is a wide-spread kidney problem, related to the drinking of salty water.

An IOM Doctor will be sent shortly with relevant drugs in order to avoid degeneration.