'Considerable drop' in Mediterranean migrant deaths: IOM

GENEVA: The number of migrants dying while trying to cross the Mediterranean has fallen sharply, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Tuesday, voicing hope the lethal trend seen since 2013 may be turning.

This year, 1,370 migrants and refugees have died trying to make the perilous crossings to Europe, on all routes -- a 24-percent drop compared to the 1,792 who had perished by this time last year, the IOM said.