AMN
At least 43 migrants have reportedly drowned after their boat broke up off the southern coast of Italy’s mainland. The Coast Guard said, a ship carrying more than 120 migrants ran into trouble in rough seas at dawn on Sunday near the coastal town of Crotone, in Calabria. It said a total of 80 survivors have been recovered, some of whom managed to reach the shore after the shipwreck, while 43 bodies have been found along the coast.
Reports said, the number of victims could still increase significantly because many bodies have not yet been recovered from the sea. According to Italian news agency Ansa, many children and women were also among the victims. It said, some of the survivors reported at least 250 people on board, others spoke of 180. Danilo Maida, a spokesman for the firefighters in the Calabria region, said conditions are harsh, which is making the search difficult.
Vessels from the coast guard, border police and firefighters were involved in rescue efforts.
Adnkronos news agency said, the boat, bringing migrants from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia, crashed against rocks during rough sea weather.
Following the incident, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her “deep sorrow” for the victims and pledged to stop irregular sea migration so as to prevent more tragedies.
Large numbers of people fleeing conflict and poverty make the crossing from Africa to Italy each year. According to monitoring groups, more than 20,000 people have died or gone missing at sea in the central Mediterranean since 2014.