GARABULLI - In the latest maritime tragedy in the Mediterranean, bodies of at least 30 people have been found off the coast of Libya. Migrants were thrown into the water in two shipwrecks, 20 miles from the beaches of Al Hamza and Bulali, according to the Libyan navy.

While many survived, the bodies of those who were tossed into the water may have fallen prey to sharks, according to the Libyan Navy. It is written on their Facebook page that “some corpses have been eaten by sharks during rescue operations.” Photos have also been shared which show the bodies, covered with white sheets, missing body parts.

Those saved included 63 women and 61 children. They have all been taken to the port, given first aid treatment, and then to a reception area.

Ayub Kasem of the Libyan Navy has projected that the numbers of the deceased will grow. “We have identified several bodies. There are dozens that are missing.” Sources differ on their report of the number of rescued souls, but it was around 200 that were taken to the port at Tripoli. Kasem has announced that 326 people have been rescued in the last two days from boats attempting to reach Europe.

As reported in Il Fatto Quotidiano, the Minister of the Interior, Marco Minniti, has said that “we must defeat the illegal traffic of migrants and the country in this sense must be united.” “We must aim to build humanitarian corridors to give hopes to those men who flee from their countries.”

Federico Soda, the Director of the International Bureau for the International Mediterranean Organization for Migrants (IOM) has praised the work of rescuers, as they risk their lives to aid others, in an interview with La Repubblica. He also highlighted that the real problem in tackling the issue of migration is the nature of migrant detention. He has commented that “we have access to two-thirds of the 30 official government centres, but we would like all migrant centres to be open. Let’s do what we can.”

In his view, investment plans for Africa are “certainly in the right direction,” but what is more important is “genuine partnership and mutual cooperation,” and not “the conditions that aid blocking the flow of migration.”