Disaster off Italian coast: At least 30 migrants drown

Disaster on the coast of Italy

Status: 02/26/2023 10:36 am

More than 100 migrants were reportedly on board when a boat capsized off the southern coast of Italy. At least 30 people died. Rescue workers are currently searching for survivors in the high tide.

At least 30 people have died after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of southern Italy. Italian news agencies Ansa and Atnchronos reported, citing police, that 27 bodies were found on Kutro beach in the Calabrian province of Crotone. 3 more drowned and rescued. Also, other bodies also floated in the sea.

Broadcaster RAI reported that the boat broke in two in rough seas. In total, more than 100 people from Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan were reportedly on board. It is not yet clear where the boat went.

The search for the missing continues. A fire department spokesman said 40 survivors have been found so far. About 50 people have been rescued so far, according to Adnkronos. According to local media reports, the rescue operation, involving Coast Guard vessels, border police and firefighters, is being made very difficult by strong waves.

Due to its geographical location, Italy is a particularly frequent destination for migrants from North Africa who want to move to Europe. Hundreds of thousands of people have crossed the Mediterranean to Europe in recent years, often fleeing conflict and poverty in their homelands.

Trawlers are often overcrowded and unseaworthy. Some 105,000 migrants arrived in Italy last year alone, and thousands of arrivals have already been counted this year. However, in recent years many people have drowned during the perilous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea.