LAMPEDUSA: Rescue teams resumed their search on Thursday for missing migrants after two overcrowded boats sank near the Italian island.
At least 27 people have been confirmed dead, while 60 survivors were brought ashore on Wednesday.
Two survivors required urgent medical evacuation to Sicily, while the rest were housed at a Red Cross reception centre.
“Of the 58, 21 are minors. They spent a quiet night and are generally in good health,“ said Imad Dalil, the Red Cross official managing the facility.
Most survivors are Somali nationals, with a small number of Egyptians among them.
Authorities have begun the grim task of identifying the recovered bodies.
The UN estimates around 95 people were aboard the two vessels, meaning roughly eight remain unaccounted for.
“At least 27 people have drowned in a tragic shipwreck near Lampedusa,“ stated UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.
He noted that over 700 migrants and refugees have perished in the Central Mediterranean so far in 2025.
“All responses must be strengthened,“ Grandi urged, calling for improved rescue operations and safer migration pathways.
Lampedusa lies just 145 kilometres from Tunisia, making it a frequent landing point for Europe-bound migrants.
Italy’s coastguard reported spotting a capsized boat and multiple bodies floating 14 nautical miles offshore.
The ill-fated vessels had departed from Tripoli earlier that day, according to officials.
Survivors recounted how one boat began taking on water, prompting passengers to swarm the second vessel, which then overturned.
Italian media reported a newborn baby was among the deceased.
A Somali woman shared her heartbreaking story with Corriere della Sera, having lost both her husband and son.
“I had my son in my arms and my husband beside me. The waves took them both away from me,“ she said.
Five search vessels, including one from Frontex, combed the area alongside aerial support.
Despite the tragedy, migrant arrivals continued overnight with four more boats intercepted near Lampedusa.
The reception centre currently holds 240 individuals awaiting processing, Dalil confirmed.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her condolences and pledged stronger action against human traffickers.
Her government, elected in 2022, had promised to reduce Mediterranean migrant crossings.
Official data shows over 38,500 migrant arrivals in Italy this year, slightly higher than 2024 but far below 2023’s figures. - AFP
