At least 59 migrants, over 24 Pakistanis, including children died after their ship sank off the coast of Southern Italy. Many more are still missing.
There were also refugees from Afghanistan, Somalia, and Iran onboard. The Italian authorities has announced that one of the dead was a newborn.
According to Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, at least thirty bodies were discovered on the beach.
Officials from the Coast Guard said that 80 survivors had been located, including several who had reached the beach after the shipwreck.
It is unknown how many people were on board the ship when it left Turkey few days ago.
According to rescue workers, the ship was carrying “more than 200 individuals,” leaving at than 60 people unaccounted for.
According to the president of Italy, many of the refugees are fleeing from highly perilous conditions.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed the news as shocking “Extremely disturbing and unsettling.
Following reports that the ship had sunk after hitting with rocks in rough weather, there was a large search and rescue operation on land and water.
The footage shows bits of the hull and broken wood from the shipwreck washing ashore on the beach.
Under blankets, Red Cross volunteers can be seen caring to survivors gathered together for warmth. There were a few hospitalizations.
Antonio Ceraso, the mayor of Cruto, told Rai News: “There had been landings, but never a disaster like this.”
Human traffickers to blame
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was elected in part on a promise to restrict the number of migrants entering Italy, has expressed “great grief” over the deaths and blamed human traffickers.
She stated, “It is inhumane to swap the lives of men, women, and children for the ‘ticket’ they purchased under the false pretence of a safe travel.”
In an effort to prevent migrants from reaching Italy’s beaches, Ms. Meloni’s right-wing administration has recently passed a new law that tightens the laws governing rescues.
Former Italian finance minister Carlo Calenda stated that rescuing persons in peril at sea must be accomplished “at any cost,” but that “illegal immigration routes must be blocked.”
President of the European Commission Ursula van der Leyen expressed “great grief”, describing the incident as a tragedy. She stressed the need to “redouble our efforts” to alter EU asylum rules in order to address European migration concerns.
Pope Francis, who regularly defends the rights of migrants, has said he will pray for the victims and their families.
Monitoring groups report that more than 20,000 people have died or gone missing in the central Mediterranean since 2014.
