47 Pakistanis rescued off southern Italy

:

Lecce (Italy), July 23 (IANS/AKI) As many as 47 Pakistani boat migrants arrived in the southern Italy port city of Otranto on Monday after they were rescued off the island of Sant'Andrea in the Puglia region's Gallipoli province, port officials said.

The Pakistanis who were all male and who included eight unaccompanied minors, were taken to a migrant reception centre in Otranto, where investigators sought to identify any suspected people-smugglers among the migrants.

The group was rescued in the early hours of Monday when the yacht they were travelling ran aground on rocks, port officials in Gallipoli said.

--IANS/AKI
vd