Sea-Watch 5 finds eight bodies in advanced state of decomposition

Eleven bodies have been found in the Central Mediterranean in the space of two days, according to Sea-Watch International, which described the region as a “state-led cemetery” amid ongoing migrant crossings.

In a series of posts on X, the German sea-rescue organisation said its Seabird reconnaissance aircraft spotted three dead bodies at sea near a capsized rubber boat.

The discovery came a day after the organisation’s rescue vessel Sea-Watch 5 found eight bodies in an advanced state of decomposition.

“We mourn the dead,” Sea-Watch said, calling for an end to what it described as the continued loss of life in the Mediterranean.

In a separate operation, Sea-Watch said its rescue vessel Aurora2 rescued 36 people from an overcrowded boat that was in distress.

The survivors included a baby, according to the organisation.

Sea-Watch said the vessel was close to Lampedusa but faced difficulties reaching the Italian authorities’ designated port of safety because of limited fuel supplies.

“The ship is almost in Lampedusa and the survivors, among them a baby, need to reach safety ASAP,” the organisation said, urging authorities to allow the vessel to enter the Italian island.

Sea-Watch later confirmed that the 36 survivors had safely disembarked in Lampedusa the previous evening.

The organisation wished the survivors “a prosperous life in safety and dignity” and praised what it described as their courage in undertaking the journey to Europe.

The latest incidents highlight the continuing dangers faced by people attempting to cross the Central Mediterranean, one of the world’s deadliest migration routes.