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Saudi Gazette
7 days ago
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Dozens of migrants killed after boats capsize off Italian coast
ROME — At least 27 migrants have died after two boats capsized as they tried to cross the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy. Around 60 survivors were rescued from the seas off the island of Lampedusa, while the search for others continues. More than 700 people have died trying to cross the central Mediterranean this year, according to the UN's refugee agency (UNHCR). Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offered her "deepest condolences" to the victims. A UNHCR spokesperson said there was "deep anguish" felt over the incident. More than 90 people were aboard the two boats before they capsized, Flavio Di Giacomo, spokesperson for the UN's International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said. A Somalian woman onboard one of the vessels gave a harrowing account to the Rome-based daily newspaper La Repubblica of losing her one-year-old daughter and husband. "All hell broke loose," she said. "I never saw them again, my little girl slipped away, I lost them both." What caused the two vessels to capsize has yet to be confirmed. However, survivors suggested to La Repubblica that when the first boat capsized, its occupants were forced to climb into the second vessel, which then capsized as well. "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 told the paper. Italian PM Meloni said in a statement: "When a tragedy like today's occurs, with the deaths of dozens of people in the waters of the Mediterranean, a strong sense of dismay and compassion arises in all of us. "And we find ourselves contemplating the inhumane cynicism with which human traffickers organise these sinister journeys." The island of Lampedusa is home to a migrant reception centre that is often overcrowded with challenging living conditions. It welcomes tens of thousands of migrants who have survived the often dangerous route across the Mediterranean to Europe every year. Those who make the journey often travel in poorly maintained and overcrowded vessels. At least 25,000 people have gone missing or been killed while trying to cross the central Mediterranean since 2014, according to the IOM. — BBC
STV News
7 days ago
- STV News
At least 26 people killed as boat carrying migrants capsizes off Italy
At least 26 people were killed after a boat carrying nearly 100 migrants capsized in international waters off the Italian island of Lampedusa, authorities say. Italy's coastguard said the death toll was still 'provisional and being updated' as rescuers continued to search for survivors. UNHCR, the United Nations' refugee agency, said 60 survivors were brought to a centre in Lampedusa following Wednesday's capsizing. 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 added. 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 UN 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 to 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 UN's International Organisation for Migration. 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 October 3, 2013, when a boat carrying over 500 migrants from Eritrea, Somalia, and Ghana caught fire and capsized, killing at least 368 people. Italian prime minister 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,' she said. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Express Tribune
14-08-2025
- General
- Express Tribune
26 migrants dead in two shipwrecks off Italy
At least 26 migrants died Wednesday when two boats sank off the coast of Italy's Lampedusa island on Wednesday. Photo REUTERS At least 26 migrants died Wednesday when two boats sank off the coast of Italy's Lampedusa island, with around 10 others still missing, the coastguard and UN officials said. Around 60 people were rescued after the sinkings in the central Mediterranean, a stretch between North Africa and Italy described by the UN as the world's most dangerous sea crossing for migrants. The two boats had left Tripoli, Libya, earlier in the day, according to the Italian coastguard. It said one of the boats started taking on water, causing people to climb onto the other boat, which itself then capsized. "Currently 60 people have been rescued and disembarked in Lampedusa, and (there are) at least 26 victims. The toll is still provisional and being updated," the coastguard said in a statement. Italy's Red Cross, which manages Lampedusa's migrant reception centre, said the survivors included 56 men and four women, updating a previous toll of 22 dead. Flavio Di Giacomo, spokesman for the UN's migration agency (IOM), said around 95 people had been on the two boats. Given how many had been saved, "approximately 35 victims are feared dead or missing", he wrote on social media. Among the first to be transported to the Lampedusa mortuary were the bodies of a newborn, three children, two men and two women, according to Italy's ANSA news agency. Lampedusa, just 90 miles (145 kilometres) off the coast of Tunisia, is often the first port of call for people trying to reach Europe in leaky or overcrowded boats. In recent years, Italian authorities have sought to intercept the boats at sea before they arrive. It was a helicopter from Italy's financial police that spotted a capsized boat and several bodies in the water on Wednesday, about 14 nautical miles off Lampedusa, the coastguard said. Five vessels were searching for survivors, including one from the EU's Frontex border agency, alongside a helicopter and two aircraft, it said. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offered her "deepest condolences" to the victims and vowed to step up efforts to tackle migrant traffickers.
West Australian
13-08-2025
- General
- West Australian
At least 26 dead as migrant boat capsizes off Italy: UN
A boat carrying nearly 100 migrants has capsized in international waters off the Italian island of Lampedusa, killing at least 26 people and leaving another dozen missing, the Italian coast guard and the United Nations refugee agency say. Sixty survivors have been brought to a centre in Lampedusa, UNHCR spokesman Filippo Ungaro said. According to survivor accounts, there were 92 to 97 migrants on board when the boat departed Libya. 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 Organisation 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 fibreglass — which then capsized because of overloading, he said. It was not 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 UN 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 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, according to the 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 October 3, 2013 when a boat carrying over 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.
Perth Now
13-08-2025
- General
- Perth Now
At least 26 dead as migrant boat capsizes off Italy: UN
A boat carrying nearly 100 migrants has capsized in international waters off the Italian island of Lampedusa, killing at least 26 people and leaving another dozen missing, the Italian coast guard and the United Nations refugee agency say. Sixty survivors have been brought to a centre in Lampedusa, UNHCR spokesman Filippo Ungaro said. According to survivor accounts, there were 92 to 97 migrants on board when the boat departed Libya. 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 Organisation 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 fibreglass — which then capsized because of overloading, he said. It was not 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 UN 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 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, according to the 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 October 3, 2013 when a boat carrying over 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.
