Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/350843
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 23 JULY 2014 News 5 Forensic experts carry out 29 autopsies in three days after migrant tragedy JOHN PISANI MATER Dei Hospital's mortuary has seen the largest number of autopsies conducted en masse since starting its operations in 2007, with 29 carried out on the bodies of 28 men and one woman recovered from the sea in the new migrant tragedy that took place off Lampedusa last week. The largest ever number of autop- sies performed in one case was that of the EygptAir hijacking way back in 1985, on 60 bodies. The 29 victims were those brought in by the Armed Forces' maritime squadron on Sunday. Forensics expert Dr Mario Scerri declined to comment on Italian me- dia reports that some of those who died in the tragic incident had been hit with hard objects and killed on board, saying that the official results of the autopsies would be given to the inquiring magistrate. But Scerri said he could safely con- clude that the 29 migrants died from drowning and that some of them might have been killed in a stampede to climb aboard a rescue patrol boat. Italian police on Tuesday said that migrants rescued by the Danish petrol tanker Torm Lotte in waters between Libya and Malta and taken to the Sicilian port of Messina, told investigators that around 60 people had been stabbed by traffickers, and their bodies thrown into the sea. These deaths come on top of the 29 people – known to have died from asphyxiation – after the traf- fickers allegedly prevented dozens of migrants from leaving the hold of the rickety fishing boat they were in, which is thought to have been carry- ing between 700 and 750 people. A child aged two was also found dead on arrival in Messina and a woman died while being transferred to hospital for treatment. Earlier in the day migrants told Re- pubblica.it that 181 people had died in the tragedy but investigators put a closer estimate at 141. On Tuesday five men presumed to be the traffickers were arrested on charges of multiple homicide. They were Mhamed Morad Al Fal- lah, 21, from Syria, Youssef Dahman, 21, and Abdrzakc Asbaoui Asbaoui, 25, from Morocco, Saddam Abuhd- dayed, 25, from the Palestinian ter- ritories, and Jamal Rajeb, 32, from Saudi Arabia. Investigators have also established that a double tariff system applied to the sea voyage, with migrants of Arab origin paying $1,000-$2,000 for a place on deck and Africans paying $250-$500 for a passage in the hold. Since no documents were found on board the boat that can identify any of the victims, each of the vic- tims will be given a referral number. Once all results of the autopsies are available, and a sample of the DNA is taken from the victims, it will be up to the magistrate to release the bodies for burial. The bodies are kept for a period of time and if no next of kin or anyone else can make a positive identifica- tion, then the burial will be done in the common section of the Addol- orata Cemetery in Paola. Each body is separated just in case in the fu- ture somebody claims the remains. Europe is not offering any solutions, PM tells CNN MIRIAM DALLI THE European Union was not of- fering any solutions to the phenom- enon of irregular migration, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told CNN. In an interview aired yesterday morning, Muscat said Europe must promote legal migration, but good migration management was need- ed. "The situation is that the only so- lutions being offered are not being offered by the European Union but by individual countries, such as Ita- ly," Muscat said. The Prime Minister said coun- tries on the frontiers should not be shouldering the burden of irregular migration on their own as refugees and asylum seekers look towards a safe haven in mainland Europe. "These people do not want to come to Malta or Italy, they are in search of a new life in mainland Eu- rope… so it is not solely our borders in question but Europe's as well, and that is why we need a concrete im- migration policy," he said. Malta is supporting proposals for a legal migration system where a per- son applies to live and work in Eu- rope, with the burden being shared among the 28 EU states. Legal chan- nels of migration would be created in countries of origin, applications screened and those approved would be relocated among all countries of the bloc according to pre-estab- lished thresholds. 30 of 400 migrants who found themselves in difficulty while cross- ing from Libya to Italy perished on the boat's lower deck last week. The distress call to Malta's Rescue and Co-Ordination Centre (RCC) was made on the night between Friday and Saturday. A baby was among those who lost their lives. More than 2,700 lives have been lost at sea between 2007 and 2013. Asked about the ongoing crisis between Russia and Ukraine, Mus- cat said further sanctions with im- mediate effect against Russia were required. "Further sanctions on Russia should take effect within the week in order for the EU to be considered credible," he said. Ukraine and Russia are now trad- ing accusations over the downed Malaysia Airline flight MH17, which left 298 dead. Notice of meeting to be held in public e Malta Environment & Planning Authority will meet on ursday 24 th July 2014 at 14:00 hours at the MEPA boardroom, St. Francis Ravelin, Floriana, to discuss the following: CONSIDERATION OF MODIFICATION/ REVOCATION OF DEVELOPMENT PERMIT: PA 5276/09: Site at, 57-60, Triq Luigi Maria Galea, Tal-Handaq, limits of Qormi. Erection of storage/oce area at 1st oor (verandah) and construction of 2nd oor level oce / storage. DETERMINATION OF PLANNING CONTROL APPLICATION: PC 0011/13: Site at 'Il-Qares'. Site between Triq Id-Diviza Civili and Triq Tal-Qares, Mosta Road alignment along Triq Id-Diviza Civili and Triq Tal-Qares and new road linking Triq Id-Diviza Civili and Triq Tal-Qares, Class 1 Residential; 3 oors and semi-basement and commercial as per Policy CG 14. DETERMINATION OF DEVELOPMENT CONTROL APPLICATIONS: PA 2011/13: Site at, Windmill Cottage, Triq Annibale Preca, Lija Demolition of existing and construction of 4 semi detached villas. PA 5839/05: Site at, B & B Construction, Triq Santa Marija, Maghtab To construct garages and shed for the production of pre-cast units. Application includes the sanctioning of variations from approved permit PA2609/94. Subject to the maximum seating capacity, seats can be reserved on request for the applicant and registered objectors. Remaining seating is lled on a rst come rst served basis. RESERVATIONS: 2290 2018 18 th July, 2014 www.mepa.org.mt Forensics expert Mario Scerri 30 lives were lost at sea on Saturday