30 migrants missing, 17 rescued after boat capsizes in central Mediterranean

BY A STAFF REPORTER: Italy's coast guard said 30 people were missing and 17 rescued in the central Mediterranean after a boat from Libya sank due to bad weather. A coast guard statement said the rescue operation was continuing with commercial vessels and air support from the European Union's border agency Frontex. The Coast Guard said in a statement that Libyan authorities had sought help from Rome after an initial rescue attempt on a commercial ship failed due to bad weather. Rome then urged commercial vessels in the area to join the rescue efforts, citing the sinking of the boat outside Italy's Search and Rescue Area (SAR).