Twenty-six people were killed and ten others went missing when a boat carrying about 100 migrants capsized off the coast of Italy’s Lampedusa Island. The Italian Coast Guard rescued 60 people and transferred them to a reception center on the island.
According to UNHCR in Italy, two boats carrying about 95 people departed from Libya. After one of the boats began taking on water, the passengers were transferred to the other, which was made of fiberglass. The overload caused the second boat to capsize.
Following the accident, the death toll of people who have lost their lives while attempting to cross the Mediterranean since the beginning of this year has risen to 675. A UNHCR spokesperson said: “I am deeply saddened by the sinking of another boat near the island, as UNHCR is currently assisting the survivors.”
Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi stressed the need to prevent migrants from crossing the Mediterranean to Italy’s shores.
In a post on X, he wrote: “This dramatic incident once again highlights the importance of stopping dangerous sea journeys at points of departure and relentlessly combating human trafficking, which fuels this phenomenon.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reaffirmed her strict stance against human trafficking gangs.
She expressed her sorrow and sympathy for the victims, highlighting the inhumane methods used by smugglers to organize such dangerous journeys. Meloni pledged to combat what she described as “unscrupulous traffickers.” She added: “Today’s tragedy, despite the prompt and effective international response, reminds us that rescue efforts, while essential, are not enough and, above all, fail to address the root causes of this tragic problem.”
Despite the strict measures implemented by the Italian government regarding migration, the number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea has increased by 16% compared to the same period last year, reaching 30,060 since the beginning of this year, according to UNHCR figures.
The migration route from North Africa to Europe via the Mediterranean witnesses numerous incidents that claim thousands of lives. Nearly 24,500 people have been documented as dead or missing over the past decade, with most of the deaths linked to the use of small, unfit boats for such dangerous journeys.
The Italian coasts have also seen multiple boat sinkings carrying migrants, the deadliest of which occurred in 2013 when a fire broke out on a large vessel carrying more than 500 migrants near the shores of Lampedusa Island, leading to the death of 368 people.
