Around 4:40 a.m. local time on Sunday, the first three bodies washed up on the beach near Staccato di Cutro in Southern Italy.
According to information provided by the Italian fire brigade to CNN, approximately 80 people were rescued from the water that was clinging to the boat’s components. The fire department said that Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan were among the survivors. The location from which the ship was launched is unknown.
Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy, laid the blame on human traffickers. She said in a statement, “It is criminal to launch a 20-meter-long boat with 200 people aboard in bad weather.” Under the false pretense of a safe journey, it is inhuman to trade the lives of men, women, and children for a ticket.
According to Manuela Curra, the prefect of Crotone, a wooden boat carrying migrants broke apart on rocks off the coast of Calabria, killing at least 58 people, including a baby, children, and several women.
The preliminary death toll is likely to rise. By expanding the debris field, adverse weather conditions in that region of the Mediterranean Sea are hindering search efforts.
Around 4:40 a.m. local time on Sunday, the first three bodies washed up on the beach near Staccato di Cutro in Southern Italy.
According to Reuters, the vessel with 140 to 150 passengers left the Turkish city of Izmir three or four days ago.
According to information provided by the Italian fire brigade to CNN, approximately 80 people were rescued from the water that was clinging to the boat’s components. They added that the survivors were from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran.
Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy, laid the blame on human traffickers. She said in a statement, “It is criminal to launch a 20-meter-long boat with 200 people aboard in bad weather.” Under the false pretense of a safe journey, it is inhuman to trade the lives of men, women, and children for a ticket.
Matteo Piantedosi, Interior Minister, added, “New measures must be instituted to reduce these perilous journeys.” He said in a statement, “It is essential to continue with every effort to stop departures and discourage crossings in any way that takes advantage of the illusory mirage of a better life.”
Meloni’s hard-right government made stopping boats carrying migrants a top priority. This week, new laws were passed by parliament that make it harder for NGOs to rescue people.
Pope Francis made the following remarks on Sunday in Vatican City in reference to the shipwreck victims: I say prayers for each of them, the missing, and the other surviving migrants. I appreciate the assistance they receive and the assistance they receive. May these brothers and sisters be helped by the Virgin Mary.”
According to data from the UNHCR, sea travel has brought 11,874 people to Italy so far in 2023, with 678 of those people arriving in Calabria.
The majority of boats departing from Libya are African nations, with only 8.3% coming from Pakistan, 6.7% coming from Afghanistan, and 0.7 percent coming from Iran. The remainder originate mostly from Africa, with Guinea accounting for 13.1% and Ivory Coast accounting for 17.3% of arrivals. The majority of the remaining nations are from other African regions, including North African nations.
According to the Missing Migrants Project of the International Organization for Migration, the Central Mediterranean route is the most deadly migration route. Since 2014, at least 20,334 people have died along this route.
According to the Missing Migrants Project of the International Organization for Migration, the Central Mediterranean route is the most deadly migration route. Since 2014, at least 20,334 people have died along this route.
