African Migrants Crushed, Drowned During Rescue

A cargo ship in the Mediterranean Sea tried to rescue a group of African migrants early Monday.

The frantic migrants started trampling over each other to reach the ropes of the ship, unaware a ladder was being thrown down. At least five migrants were crushed to death and more were feared drowned.

Crew members say everyone aboard the ship had undergone rescue training, but rescue attempts can easily go from calm to panic as migrants fight for their chance to live.

"There was the big ship there and they threw down ropes," Astou Fall Dia, a 24-year-old migrant from Senegal, told The Associated Press.

"Someone grabbed onto the rope. All the other people started pushing to try to save themselves, but the people started falling in the water."

Dia said she survived because she stayed close to the dinghy, and she knew how to swim.