Migrants drown after traffickers steal their boat's motor at gunpoint

He added the high death rate was being caused by very small dinghies and other poor vessels which smugglers are using to cross the sea. Libyan coast guard spokesman Ayoub Gassim said over

500 migrants were rescued at sea on Friday and Saturday off the shore of the city of Sebratha, which is to the west of Zawiya. Mr Gassim added smugglers are using larger rubber boats in

order to pile more migrants into the weak vessels – some transporting as many as 180 people. "We are seeing the new boats, which are not equipped with anything, but they carry more

people," he said. "This is going to be even more disastrous to migrants." This month, European Council president Donald Tusk said that Europe would pay to train and equip the

Libyan coastguard to stop people smugglers while increasing the number of search and rescue operations. Additional funds would be given to local communities in Libya "to improve their

situation, and help them shelter stranded migrants," he said. In an online statement, he added: "We have agreed on immediate operational measures that should help reduce the number

of irregular migrants and save lives at the same time. "We will train, equip and support the Libyan coastguard to stop people smugglers and increase search and rescue operations.

"We will deliver economic assistance to local communities in Libya to improve their situation and help them shelter stranded migrants. And we will work with the International

Organisation for Migration to step up voluntary returns from Libya to countries of origin."