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Sky News AU
6 days ago
- General
- Sky News AU
Two boats sink in Lampedusa, Italy leaving at least 26 dead and others missing
Two boats have capsized off the Italian island of Lampedusa, leaving at least 26 people dead in one of the latest tragedies on the perilous Mediterranean crossing. The UN's International Organisation for Migration (IOM) confirmed that the boats were carrying more than 90 people when they ran into trouble during the journey from Libya to southern Europe. Sixty survivors were rescued, while search teams continue to comb the area for others still missing. An Italian law enforcement aircraft first spotted one of the overturned boats about 23 kilometres off Lampedusa, with bodies visible in the water. The discovery triggered a large-scale rescue involving five ships, two planes and a helicopter. Lampedusa mayor Filippo Mannino said the disaster likely occurred in the early hours of the morning. The central Mediterranean route remains one of the world's deadliest for migrants, with almost 24,500 people dying or disappearing in the crossing over the past decade, according to IOM data. One survivor, a woman from Somalia, told Italy's La Repubblica newspaper she had lost her husband and one-year-old daughter during the chaos. 'Everything turned to panic,' she recounted. 'I never saw them again, my little girl slipped away, and I lost them both.' The cause of the sinkings remains under investigation. Survivors reported that after the first vessel went down, its passengers tried to climb aboard a second boat made of fibre glass, which then also capsized under the weight. Filippo Ungaro, a spokesperson for the UN refugee agency in Italy, said that since January, at least 675 people have died attempting the central Mediterranean crossing. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose government has introduced tougher measures targeting human smuggling and pledged to curb sea arrivals, said the incident highlighted deeper issues. 'Today's tragedy unfolded despite a fully mobilised rescue effort, it showed that saving lives at sea is not enough – we must address the root causes driving these journeys.'
AsiaOne
7 days ago
- Politics
- AsiaOne
At least 20 migrants die in shipwreck off Italy's Lampedusa island, UN says, World News
ROME — At least 26 people died in a migrant shipwreck off the southern Italian island of Lampedusa on Wednesday (Aug 13) and 60 were brought ashore, the coastguard said, adding that the death toll was still provisional amid ongoing search operations. The disaster, in this case involving people travelling from Libya, is the latest to befall migrants making the perilous Mediterranean crossing from Africa to Europe. An Italian law enforcement aircraft spotted a capsized boat with bodies in the water about 14 miles (23km) off Lampedusa on Wednesday morning, triggering a rescue operation, the coastguard said in a statement. Based on initial accounts from the rescued migrants, they departed from the Tripoli area in Libya in the early morning aboard two boats. One of the boats began taking on water and they transferred to the other vessel, which later capsized in choppy water, a source close to the matter said. The coastguard said five ships, two aircraft and one helicopter were operating at the rescue site. Initial tallies from the UN refugee agency UNHCR indicated that the group of migrants comprised some 92 to 97 people. Since the beginning of this year, 675 people have died in the central Mediterranean while trying to make the crossing, said Filippo Ungaro, a UNHCR spokesperson in Italy. Cristina Palma, who works for the Italian Red Cross in Lampedusa, said in a video statement that the survivors — 56 men and four women — were in "decent" health but four of them had been hospitalised for checks. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing government has vowed to block the migrant sea journeys from Africa and has passed measures against the human smugglers, including tougher jail terms, urging allies to do more to clamp down on the phenomenon. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said on X that Wednesday's tragedy confirmed the need to prevent the illegal departures and to keep combatting migrant smugglers. [[nid:718600]]
Straits Times
7 days ago
- General
- Straits Times
At least 22 dead in shipwreck of two boats off Italy's Lampedusa
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Migrants in a fiberglass boat are met by a rescue vessel on July 24, in international waters south of Lampedusa, in the Mediterranean Sea. ROME - At least 22 migrants died after two boats overturned in the Mediterranean on Aug 13, with more still missing and some 60 survivors, humanitarian agencies said. The disaster was the latest in the dangerous central Mediterranean, where most migrants seeking to reach Europe cross in leaky or overcrowded boats, especially in the warm weather of the summer months. The number of people confirmed dead was currently at 22, a spokesman for Italy's Red Cross, which manages Lampedusa's migrant reception centre, told AFP. Fifty-six men and four women survived the disaster, the Red Cross said. It said it was still unclear how many people had been on the two boats that left from Zawiya, Libya, west of Tripoli on the evening of Aug 12. Details of the disaster were scarce but Italian news agency Ansa said that after one of the boats that departed together began to capsize, some migrants moved to the other, which became overloaded and began taking on water, according to survivors' accounts. Ansa said among the first to be transported to the Lampedusa mortuary were the bodies of a newborn, three children, two men and two women. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia India, Singapore ministers discuss deeper tie-ups in digitalisation, skills, industrial parks Business More seniors remain employed after retirement and re-employment ages raised in 2022: MOM study Singapore askST: Will assets seized in $3b money laundering case be sold at public auctions? Business CapitaLand Investment first-half profit falls 13.3%, appoints new CEO of private funds Singapore 2 dead after fire in Jalan Bukit Merah flat, about 60 evacuated Sport PSG beat Tottenham on penalties to win Uefa Super Cup Singapore TB screenings at two pre-schools after staff member diagnosed in July Opinion How to train a drone warrior, with lessons from Ukraine 'Deep anguish for the umpteenth shipwreck off the coast of Lampedusa, where UNHCR is now assisting the survivors. It looks to be 20 bodies found and as many missing,' wrote Mr Filippo Ungaro, spokesman for the UN Refugee Agency, on social media. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi confirmed the disaster, saying the shipwreck occurred 14 nautical miles from Lampedusa. Various news outlets put the number of migrants in the boats at about 97 people. News agencies said that a plane from Italy's financial police first spotted the migrants in the water. The UNHCR said on Aug 13 there have been 675 migrant deaths on the central Mediterranean route so far this year. As of Aug 13, 38,263 migrants have arrived on Italy's shores this year, according to the interior ministry. Mr Piantedosi wrote on social media that the episode underscored 'the urgency of preventing, from the countries of departure, the dangerous sea journeys and of relentlessly combating the ruthless trafficking business that fuels this phenomenon. The hard-right government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has cut deals with North African countries from which migrants embark, providing funding and training in exchange for help in stemming departures. AFP
Los Angeles Times
7 days ago
- General
- Los Angeles Times
A boat carrying migrants capsizes off Italy, killing at least 26
ROME — A boat carrying nearly 100 migrants capsized Wednesday in international waters off the Italian island of Lampedusa, killing at least 26 people and leaving about a dozen missing, the Italian coast guard and U.N. agencies said. Sixty survivors were brought to a center in Lampedusa, said Filippo Ungaro, a UNHCR spokesperson in Italy. There were 92 to 97 migrants on board when the boat departed Libya, according to survivor accounts. Authorities were still searching for any remaining survivors. The coast guard said in a statement that the death toll stood at 26, but was still 'provisional and being updated.' Based on survivor accounts, about 95 migrants left Libya on two boats, International Organization for Migration spokesperson Flavio Di Giacomo said. When one of the two vessels started to take on water, all the passengers were transferred to the other boat — made of fiberglass — which then capsized because of overloading, he said. It wasn't immediately known how long the migrants had been at sea. Lampedusa Mayor Filippo Mannino said that the shipwreck happened 'presumably at dawn.' So far this year, 675 migrants have died making the perilous central Mediterranean crossing, not counting the latest sinking, according to the U.N. refugee agency. 'Deep anguish over yet another shipwreck off the coast of Lampedusa, where UNHCR is now assisting the survivors,' Ungaro said on X. In the first six months of 2025, 30,060 refugees and migrants arrived in Italy by sea, a 16% increase compared with the same period last year, according to UNHCR. The migration route from northern Africa to southern Europe is considered one of the most dangerous in the world, with almost 24,500 people dying or disappearing on the Mediterranean crossing in the past decade, according to the IOM. Most of the deaths have been attributed to small boats setting off from the coasts of Tunisia and Libya. The deadliest shipwreck off the coast of Lampedusa occurred on Oct. 3, 2013, when a boat carrying more than 500 migrants from Eritrea, Somalia and Ghana caught fire and capsized, killing at least 368 people. The tragedy prompted international calls for action to address the crisis. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni — who made combating illegal immigration a top priority of her right-wing government — pledged on Wednesday to continue fighting 'unscrupulous traffickers' by preventing irregular departures and managing migration flows. 'That today's tragedy occurred despite a ready and operational international response warns us that the necessary rescue effort is not sufficient and, above all, does not address the root causes of this tragic problem,' Meloni said in a statement. Barry and Zampano write for the Associated Press. Barry reported from Milan.
Qatar Tribune
7 days ago
- General
- Qatar Tribune
26 dead in boat accident off Italy's Lampedusa
dpa Rome The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Wednesday that several migrants died in a boat accident off the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa. Filippo Ungaro, a spokesman for the agency, posted on the platform X that 26 bodies had been recovered so far. The same number of people are still missing. The Italian news agency ANSA reported that there are several dozen survivors. Search and rescue operations were still ongoing. Citing survivors, ANSA also reported that two boats left Libya on Tuesday evening with up to 100 migrants on board. The overcrowded vessels capsized on their way to Sicily, about 14 nautical miles (26 kilometres) off the coast of Lampedusa. The Italian Red Cross said 60 people - 56 men and four women - had survived the shipwreck. They were exhausted but in a stable condition, it said. Migrants frequently make attempts to cross the Mediterranean, mostly from Libya or Tunisia. This often results in serious accidents. Ungaro wrote in his X post that 675 deaths have been recorded in the central Mediterranean region so far this year. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi wrote on X of a dramatic event that once again shows 'how urgent it is to prevent dangerous sea voyages in the departure zones and to relentlessly combat the unscrupulous human trafficking that fuels this phenomenon.'
