Egypt recovers decomposed bodies of 12 suspected illegal migrants on Mediterranean coast

Egyptian authorities recovered the decomposed bodies of 12 suspected irregular migrants on a beach in the Abu Ghalila area near the city of Sidi Barrani on Egypt’s north-western Mediterranean coast on Thursday.

Residents discovered the bodies after waves washed them ashore alongside wooden debris believed to be from a boat, local sources said.

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Egypt’s Matrouh Ambulance Authority dispatched emergency vehicles to the area, about 140km west of Marsa Matrouh, and transferred the bodies to Matrouh General Hospital.

Medical sources in Matrouh said preliminary examinations showed that most of the bodies were in an advanced state of decomposition, making identification difficult.

Search operations along the coast were still ongoing amid concerns that additional bodies could be recovered, the sources added.

A medical source said that if more decomposed bodies are found, authorities would collect DNA samples to help determine the identities and ages of the victims.