By Andrew Katz
A fishing boat carrying hundreds migrants capsized off the coast of Libya, the Italian navy said on Wednesday. About 550 have been rescued and five have been found dead so far.
A navy patrol boat approached the wooden fishing vessel when it appeared to be experiencing difficulty, but the boat soon flipped over, Reuters reports. Motorboats were deployed to conduct rescue operations. Swimmers helped migrants into life belts and pulled them toward the patrol boat. An Italian naval helicopter was also sent to the scene of the accident.
Officials have not yet revealed the nationality of the migrants.
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