The body of one boat migrant and 1,739 survivors were picked up in several operations conducted over the past two days in the Mediterranean, Italian authorities said Sunday, adding that further sea rescues were ongoing, dpa reported. On Saturday, some 688 migrants were picked up 30-40 nautical miles (55-74 kilometres) from the Libyan coast, in operations involving the Italian navy, the coast guard and a merchant ship, a coast guard spokeswoman told dpa. More migrants were being saved Sunday, but the spokeswoman said she did not have numbers yet. A day earlier, Italian authorities reported the rescue of another 978 migrants, plus the recovery of one body, following Friday rescues 30 nautical miles from Libyan shores, which also involved the navy, the coast guard, and merchant ships. Also on Saturday, police in Apulia, the region that forms the heel of Italy's boot, stopped a dinghy with 37 migrants, and arrested two people on suspicion of human trafficking. In a second operation, officers located 36 other migrants just after they landed onshore.
