Tragedy Strikes Again as Dozens Remain Missing in Two Separate Shipwrecks near Italian Coast
At least 10 people have tragically lost their lives and dozens are currently missing after two separate shipwrecks near the Italian coast. The first incident saw ten bodies discovered in the lower deck of a wooden boat in the central Mediterranean. Rescuers from Nadir, a ship operated by the German charity ResQship, found the bodies while also managing to save 51 individuals onboard the sinking vessel that is believed to have set sail from Tunisia. Alarm Phone, a distress hotline for those crossing the Mediterranean, reported being alerted about a boat carrying around 60 people in distress. Despite the efforts of the Nadir, they arrived too late for the ten individuals who perished. The shipwreck occurred roughly 40 miles south of the Italian island of Lampedusa. In another heartbreaking development, 50 individuals have been reported missing after a shipwreck in the Ionian Sea, approximately 100 miles off the coast of Calabria in southern Italy. A merchant ship managed to rescue twelve people, including a pregnant woman, who were traveling on a sailing boat originating from Turkey. The group consisted of individuals from Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Recently, 173 people arrived on three boats to Lampedusa, with reports indicating they had departed from Zawia in Libya and were of Bangladeshi, Sudanese, Syrian, and Egyptian nationality. This tragic loss of lives is yet another reminder of the dangers faced by migrants and refugees attempting to reach Europe. With Italy serving as a primary entry point and the central Mediterranean route labeled as one of the most perilous worldwide, the UN has sadly recorded over 20,000 deaths and disappearances along the route since 2014.
Related Sources: