At least 27 migrants are reported dead after two boats capsized while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Libya to Italy. Approximately 60 survivors were rescued near the island of Lampedusa, where efforts to locate additional individuals are ongoing. According to the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR), over 700 people have lost their lives attempting to cross the central Mediterranean this year.
Flavio Di Giacomo, a spokesperson for the UN’s International Organisation for Migration (IOM), indicated that more than 90 individuals were aboard the two vessels before they sank. One survivor from Somalia recounted her experience to La Repubblica, detailing the loss of her one-year-old daughter and husband during the incident. She described chaos unfolding as she lost sight of them when the boats capsized.
The reason for the capsizing has not yet been confirmed. Survivors suggested to La Repubblica that when the first boat overturned, passengers were forced to board the second vessel, which also subsequently capsized. “We had set out on two boats, but one capsized, so we all climbed aboard one of them. But then the other one also started taking on water,” one survivor reported.
In response to the tragedy, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her condolences and remarked on the widespread dismay felt over the loss of life. She pointed to the exploitation by human traffickers who organize perilous journeys across the Mediterranean.
Lampedusa hosts a migrant reception center that frequently faces overcrowding and challenging living conditions. This center receives tens of thousands of migrants each year who have survived the dangerous crossing. Since 2014, the IOM reports that at least 25,000 people have either gone missing or died while trying to make this journey.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn02g5w39jxo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss