- According to official information, at least 58 migrants died in a boat accident off the southern Italian coast.
- Their bodies were discovered on a beach in the province of Crotone in Calabria and in the sea. About 50 people could have been rescued, the Coast Guard said.
- According to media reports, the boat left Izmir in eastern Turkey. The victims came from Somalia, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The number of victims could still increase significantly because many bodies have not yet been recovered from the sea, the emergency services said. The responsible fire brigade reported so far 45 recovered dead, including a baby.
Legend:
The survivors are treated by paramedics before being taken to the hospital.
Imago / ANSA / GIUSEPPE PIPITA
According to the coast guard, around 80 survivors were found, more than twenty of whom were taken to the hospital. According to the survivors, there were up to 150 people on board. Including women and children.
Boat crashed on rocks
The accident happened off the coast of Steccato di Cutro, a seaside resort in the province of Crotone on the east coast of Calabria. According to the Italian Coast Guard, the boat hit a rock just a few meters from the shore. Some of the occupants would have reached the saving shore under their own power.
The boat left Izmir in eastern Turkey three or four days ago. People from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia were on board, a representative of the provincial government told the Reuters news agency.
According to media reports, the Crotone police are investigating a person suspected of being one of the smugglers from the damaged boat.
Political debate with new Tinder
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her concern. She underlined that her government is determined to stop irregular migration in order to avoid further tragedies.
In a first reaction, Italy’s interior minister Matteo Piantedosi called for tougher action against people smugglers. It must be prevented that the boats would even set sail, he demanded.
“This is a rude awakening that the community must wake up to lest similar tragedies happen,” Italian Red Cross President Rosario Valastro wrote on Twitter.
Thousands make the journey every year
Every year, thousands of migrants try to get to Italy and thus to Europe from North Africa, often on unseaworthy boats. Serious accidents happen again and again.
According to the Italian Ministry of the Interior, 13,067 migrants have entered the country by sea up to and including Thursday this year, more than twice as many as in the same period last year (5273).
Legend:
Rescue workers on Cutro beach recover bodies. Expect more remains to wash up.
Reuters/Stringer
A new law by Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government, which was passed by the Senate last week, is also making the work of civilian sea rescuers more difficult. However, the majority of migrants arrive in Italy on their own ships and boats.