Egyptian authorities have arrested four people in connection with the death of at least 42 migrants whose Europe-bound boat capsized off Egypt’s Mediterranean coast. Officials say the four, whom they did not identify nor specify their link to the incident, have been remanded into police custody for four days pending further investigation. The Egyptian military said the boat was 12 nautical miles off the coast near the town of Rosetta when it capsized Wednesday.
Egypt’s official news agency said the boat was carrying 600 people when it sank. Thousands of illegal migrants have made the dangerous sea voyage across the Mediterranean in recent years, fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East. Egypt has in recent months seen an uptick in the number of migrant boats leaving its Mediterranean shores.
At least 42 people were drowned and another 150 were rescued after a boat carrying migrants capsized in the Mediterranean off Egypt’s north coast on Wednesday. The vessel overturned off the port city of Rosetta, police and health officials said, with the total number of people on board not clear. According to media reports, emergency workers have rescued 150 passengers.
A cabinet statement quoted Egypt’s Prime Minister Sharif Ismail as ordering police to arrest the smugglers responsible for the attempt at human trafficking. More than 10,000 people have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean for Europe since 2014, according to the United Nations.