Egyptian security officials say a boat carrying mostly Sudanese and Syrian migrants has capsized off Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, killing three people.
Maj. Gen. Mohamed Ismail says 31 people were rescued Saturday and subsequently arrested after the boat capsized near the coastal city of Idku.
Violence and poverty in the Middle East and Africa is driving a surge in refugees headed to Europe, with many crowded rafts capsizing and leaving hundreds feared dead.
Libya in particular has been a hotspot for human trafficking, although boats occasionally try to leave from Egypt as well.
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