Survivors of Mediterranean rescue say about 50 people died on the trip from Libya, aid group reports

MILAN (AP) — A humanitarian rescue group says survivors aboard a deflating rubber dinghy rescued in the central Mediterranean Sea have reported that some 50 people who departed Libya with them a week ago perished during the journey. SOS Mediterranee says its rescue ship Ocean Viking spotted the dinghy Wednesday with 25 people on board. Two were unconscious, and died. The other 23 were in serious condition, exhausted, dehydrated and with burns from fuel on board the boat. SOS Mediterranee spokesman Francesco Creazzo said that the survivors were all male, 12 of them minors with two of those not yet teen-agers. They were from Senegal, Mali and Gambia.