Bodies of 74 migrants wash ashore in Libya

The bodies of at least 74 African migrants have washed ashore in western Libya, a region from which hundreds of thousands of refugees depart annually to try to reach Italy. A torn rubber boat, the slipshod kind often used by smugglers, was found nearby, according to the Libyan Red Crescent. The humanitarian group said bodies are still floating out at sea, but it has no means to retrieve them. It also appealed for vehicles to help transport the dead to a cemetery in Tripoli. Libya remains in political and social turmoil since the 2011 overthrow and death of dictator Muammar Qaddhafi. Local militias govern much of the country and profit from the human smuggling industry. More than 180,000 people from all over Africa made the crossing from Libya to Italy last year, and 4,579 migrant deaths were reported at sea.

The Asssociated Press contributed to this report.