Italy and NGO in row over migrant deaths

A bitter row has flared up between a Spanish rescue charity and the Italian government after a dead migrant woman and child were found off the coast of Libya.

Proactiva Open Arms posted images of the bodies and its rescue of a surviving Cameroonian woman clinging to timber on their deflated dinghy.

The charity said the Libyan coastguard had abandoned the three, and blamed Italy for backing it.

Italy and the Libyan coastguard deny the charity's allegations.

The coastguard said it had rescued 165 migrants on Monday from a damaged boat in the area where the dinghy was found, nearly 80 nautical miles (148km) off the coast.

It said the migrants were dehydrated after drifting for more than 60 hours, and one dead baby girl was also recovered.

The coastguard did not say why the three others had been left on a damaged raft.