Local sources from Italy: Agenzia ANSA, Il Sole 24 ORE.
UK coverage: The Guardian.
At least 11 people have lost their lives and dozens are missing after two separate shipwrecks occurred near the Italian coast. The first incident involved a sinking wooden boat in the central Mediterranean, where 10 bodies were recovered and 51 individuals were rescued by a German charity ship. In another tragic event, 66 people, including 26 children, are reported missing in a shipwreck in the Ionian Sea. Italy has long been a major arrival point for migrants attempting to reach Europe, with the central Mediterranean route being one of the most perilous, resulting in over 20,000 deaths and disappearances since 2014.
According to an article from Agenzia ANSA titled ‘Tragedy of Migrants: Search for 15 Missing Continues,’ the survivors of the shipwreck in Maltese waters, who arrived in critical condition, are still hospitalized in Lampedusa. Their clinical progress will determine whether they can be discharged and sent to the hotspot, or if they require transfer to hospitals in Palermo or Agrigento. The tragedy has claimed the lives of nine individuals, including the body of a child aged between 4 and 8 years old. Throughout the night, patrol boats have been engaged in the search for the missing, with survivors reporting that 15 people are still unaccounted for, including three minors. The migrants, originally from Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Ivory Coast, departed from Sfax in Tunisia on Sunday evening. The capsizing and sinking of their small boat were attributed to the stormy sea conditions. The rough sea with waves as high as 2.50 meters complicated rescue operations, which were carried out approximately 30 miles southeast of Lampedusa. An Italian Coast Guard plane was deployed to search for the missing individuals.
The second article, ‘Migrants, New Shipwreck: 30 Missing. Alarm Phone Accuses Italy: Delayed Rescue,’ from Il Sole 24 ORE, sheds light on the political implications surrounding the incident. Alarm Phone accuses Italy of deliberately delaying rescue efforts, leading to the loss of lives. The boat capsized in Libyan waters, with 30 individuals missing and 17 saved, according to the Coast Guard. Italy’s alleged delay in rescue operations has sparked outrage, with Pd Secretary Elly Schlein denouncing it as a shame and the head of the S&D Group in Strasbourg, Garcia Perez, highlighting the inhumanity of the government. The Coast Guard, however, responds that the intervention took place outside the Italian SAR responsibility area and notes the inactivity of other national maritime rescue centers in the vicinity. The incident has also intensified tensions within the majority regarding the cancellation of special humanitarian protection for migrants.
These two shipwrecks serve as a grim reminder of the dangers faced by migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean in search of a better life. The loss of lives and the high number of individuals missing highlight the urgent need for international cooperation and comprehensive strategies to address this humanitarian crisis.
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