Italy: Bad weather halts recovery efforts

[October 05, 2013]  LAMPEDUSA, Italy (AP) -- Authorities say the search to recover bodies from a fishing boat that sank off the southern island of Lampedusa has been called off for a second day because of bad weather.

Financial police Maj. Leonardo Ricci said Saturday that choppy seas are preventing divers from reaching the wreck, now resting on the seabed. More than 200 people are still missing.

The 20-meter boat packed with migrants sank Thursday when they ship capsized after they started a fire to attract attention. The migrants had spent two days at sea traveling from Libya. Just 155 people survived. So far, 111 bodies have been recovered.

Early Saturday, a fishing boat flotilla threw a single bouquet of yellow flowers into the sea at the site.

[Associated Press]

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