Ten suspected migrants were found dead after their ship capsized near Italy’s tiny Lampedusa island. In a separate incident off Calabria, another ship caught fire and overturned, resulting in one additional death and 64 migrants still missing at sea.
In ShortSixty-four people were reported missing after a shipwreck off Italy’s southern coast; 11 were rescued and brought to Calabria. Ten bodies of suspected migrants were found trapped below deck on a wooden boat near Lampedusa island. A separate shipwreck involved Resqship’s crew rescuing 51 individuals from a sinking boat, where 10 others tragically lost their lives in the flooded lower deck. |
Sixty-four people were reported missing at sea following a shipwreck off Italy’s southern coast on Monday, while 11 individuals were rescued and brought ashore to a town in Calabria, according to a statement from United Nations agencies.
In a separate incident, rescue workers discovered the bodies of 10 suspected migrants trapped below the deck of a wooden boat near Italy’s Lampedusa island. This information was shared by the German aid group Resqship on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
The first shipwreck occurred approximately 200 kilometers off the coast of Calabria. The boat, which had departed from Turkey eight days earlier, caught fire and overturned. This account was provided by UN agencies based on survivor testimonies. The search and rescue operation was initiated following a Mayday call received from a French vessel, according to a statement by the Italian Coast Guard.
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The boat was located in a border area where both Greece and Italy conduct search and rescue missions. The UN agencies reported that the individuals on board, both the survivors and those still missing, were from Iran, Syria, and Iraq.
The Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre promptly redirected two nearby merchant vessels to the rescue scene. Additionally, assets from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, assisted in the operation.
The rescued individuals were transported to the Calabrian port of Roccella Jonica, where they received medical care. Unfortunately, one of the migrants died shortly after their arrival, as reported by the Italian Coast Guard.
In the second shipwreck incident, the crew of Resqship’s boat, the Nadir, found 61 people on a wooden boat that was taking on water. The crew managed to evacuate 51 individuals, including two who were unconscious. Tragically, the 10 deceased were found in the flooded lower deck of the boat, according to Resqship’s report.
