Turkey rescues 45, Libya saves 120 refugees in east Mediterranean

Turkish coast guard has rescued some 45 refugees trying to cross the Mediterranean into Greece while over 120 others were brought to safety by Libyans in the central parts of the volatile sea.

According to reports, Turkish officials said the rescue operation began after a boat carrying 46 people to the Greek island of Lesbos sank off the Turkish coast.

A coast guard official said an Ethiopian woman was still missing, adding that a search operation was underway. He noted that the refugees, who were from Syria, Afghanistan, Congo, Eritrea and Bangladesh, were brought to the Turkish port of Ayvacik before they were sent to a repatriation center.

Libyan officials said on Sunday that more than 120 refugees were rescued off the coast of Tripoli after their boat ran into trouble. They said the refugees had begun their journey two days earlier from Sabratha, a town 70 kilometers (45 miles) west of Libya's capital, but their boat sank after a technical failure.

Coast guard officials said the refugees, who included women and children, were of various African nationalities.

Libyans said on Saturday that they had intercepted more than 400 refugees bound for Europe over the past days.

SS