Geneva: At least 54 migrants were died of thirst while trying to sail from Libya to Italy in an inflatable boat, the United Nations refugee agency has said.
The only survivor, found by Tunisian fishermen, said the others had died of dehydration during a 15-day voyage.
He told UNHCR officials that they nearly reached the Italian coast, but were driven back by strong winds, and the boat then began to deflate.
The man, who is being treated in a Tunisian hospital, said there was no fresh water on board and people started to perish within days, including three members of his family.
According to the UNHCR, around 170 people have died this year trying to reach Europe from Libya.
An estimated 1,300 have reached Italy by sea since the beginning of 2012.
Greece and Italy are the two main entry points for undocumented immigrants into the European Union, and Italy in particular has seen a spike in arrivals over the past year following the Arab Spring revolts in North Africa.
Malta is also a frequent landing point but is increasingly being spurned by immigrants worried about the relatively lengthy registration process for new arrivals, the UNHCR said.
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