In a heart-wrenching incident, at least two people lost their lives, and dozens more remain missing following two shipwrecks off the Italian island of Lampedusa. The Italian coastguard reported that they recovered two bodies and rescued 57 individuals after the vessels sank in stormy weather on Saturday.
According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), survivors from one of the boats reported around 28 people lost at sea, while three others were reported missing from the second vessel. Both ships were described as rickety iron boats believed to have set off from Sfax in Tunisia on Thursday. One boat was carrying 48 people, and the second carried 42, as reported by the Italian news agency ANSA.
The IOM’s cultural mediators, after speaking with the survivors, believed that at least 30 people were still unaccounted for. An investigation into the shipwrecks has been initiated in Agrigento, located on the nearby Italian island of Sicily.
The tragedies come amid a surge in arrivals to Lampedusa, with over 2,000 people being rescued at sea by Italian patrol boats and NGO groups in recent days. However, strong winds and turbulent conditions have complicated rescue efforts and added to the challenges faced by those seeking safety on the island.
Emanuele Ricifari, Agrigento’s chief of police, expressed outrage at the human traffickers who put migrants and refugees out to sea despite rough seas being forecast. He condemned their actions, stating that those responsible are “unscrupulous criminal lunatics” who knowingly jeopardise lives by setting sail in dangerous conditions.
In addition to the shipwrecks, another distressing situation unfolded as approximately 20 people were trapped along a rocky part of Lampedusa’s coastline since late Friday when their boat was thrown onto the rocks by strong winds. Fire brigade and alpine rescue teams were making preparations to rescue them, providing them with essential supplies such as food, water, clothes, and emergency thermal blankets.
The Central Mediterranean crossing from North Africa to Europe remains the deadliest route, with over 1,800 people losing their lives in the attempt so far this year. Flavio Di Giacomo of the IOM highlighted that this figure might be underestimated, as many shipwrecks go unreported, and more bodies are being found at sea.
The treacherous journey is further exacerbated by the use of unseaworthy iron boats, which cost less but pose severe risks for migrants and refugees. Di Giacomo noted that traffickers frequently steal engines from the boats at sea to reuse them, exposing the vulnerable passengers to additional dangers.
