Abandoned Migrant Ship Reaches Italian Coast

A cargo ship found adrift in the Adriatic Sea with at least 600 migrants on board has docked at an Italian port. The Moldovan-flagged cargo ship arrived at the southern port of Gallipoli early Wednesday morning. The ship was met by an Italian Red Cross workers and other emergency personnel. There is no information so far on the nationalities or conditions of the migrants. The Italian navy took over the ship Tuesday after discovering the crew had abandoned the vessel and rigged the engine to crash into the coast. The ship was first spotted earlier in the day near the Greek island of Corfu, after someone on board sent out a distress call. Greek officials boarded the ship, found nothing wrong, and sent it on its way. Thousands of migrants, mostly from North Africa, die trying try to cross the sea to Europe every year to escape war and poverty at home. Some use dangerous and flimsy boats while others pay human smugglers who often abandon their cargo at sea.



from Voice of America http://www.voanews.com/content/abandoned-migrant-ship-reaches-italian-coast/2580136.html