A shipwreck off the southern coast of Italy has killed at least 45 migrants, including children. On this subject informed Fatto Quotidiano.
The sinking occurred on the morning of February 26 in the Calabria region of southern Italy, about 20 km from the province of Crotone in Calabria. According to eyewitnesses, about 250 people from Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Syria were on board the kaik – a large wooden boat.
In the prefecture of Crotone, they reported that thanks to the actions of the police and the coastguard, 80 people were rescued, 21 others were taken to hospital, writing La Republica. Emergency services, with the participation of a team of Coast Guard divers, continue to search for other survivors.
By data ANSA, there are many children and women among the victims of the sinking. Rescuers said one of the dead was “a newborn baby several months old”, writing Die Welt. Bodies were also found on Steccato di Cutro beach in Crotone. The death toll is expected to rise, the Coast Guard said.
Local media publish different versions of the cause of the sinking. In particular, ANSA writes that the ship broke in two due to weather conditions. In turn, according to the AGI news agency, quoted by Die Welt, due to high waves, the boat crashed into the rocks a few meters from the shore.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed his condolences following the sinking of the ship. She called it a crime to launch a boat from 20 meters with more than 200 people on board.
“It is inhumane to trade the lives of men, women and children for the price of a ‘ticket’ they paid for with the false prospect of safe travel,” Meloni said.
According to her, the Italian government opposes the organization of such trips and demands the same from the countries from which ships depart with migrants.
In turn, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, commenting on the incident, called for tougher measures against the smugglers. He demanded that such boats could not stray from the shore and swim to him.
