At least 59 migrants perish in an Italian shipwreck, including 12 children.

On Sunday, a boat carrying migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, and Iran broke apart while attempting to land near Crotone. The tragic incident resulted in the death of a baby and an unknown number of other individuals. Italian officials suspect that up to 30 people may still be missing. The bodies of the deceased were discovered on the beach of a nearby resort town in Calabria.

According to the coastguard, 80 people were found alive, some of whom managed to swim to shore after the boat sank. The exact number of passengers on the boat is unclear, as it had departed from Turkey several days prior to the incident. However, rescue workers estimated that the boat was carrying more than 200 people, leaving over 60 unaccounted for.

Many of the migrants on board were fleeing dire circumstances in their home countries, as stated by Italy’s president. Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, expressed concern about reports that over two dozen Pakistanis were among the casualties and instructed diplomats to investigate the matter.

During harsh weather conditions, the ship is said to have collided with rocks, causing it to sink and prompting a significant land and sea search-and-rescue mission. According to video footage, debris from the wreckage, including fragments of the hull and broken timber, washed up on the shore. Survivors were shown huddling under blankets, receiving care from Red Cross personnel, and some were transported to medical facilities. “While there had been previous landings, a catastrophe of this magnitude had never occurred,” shared Antonio Ceraso, the mayor of Cruto, with Rai News.

In severe weather conditions, the ship collided with rocks, causing it to sink, prompting a significant land and sea search and rescue operation. According to video footage, debris from the wreck, including parts of the hull and broken timber, washed ashore. Survivors were shown huddled under blankets, being cared for by Red Cross officials, and some were transported to medical facilities.

According to customs police, one survivor has been arrested on charges of migrant trafficking.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was elected partly on a promise to stop the flow of migrants into Italy, expressed her “deep sorrow” and held traffickers responsible for the deaths.

She stated in a press release that “it is inhumane to exchange the lives of men, women and children for the price of the ‘ticket’ they paid in the false perspective of a safe journey.”

The government is committed to preventing departures and the tragedies that come with them, and will continue to do so, she added.

Ms Meloni’s right-wing government has pledged to prevent migrants from reaching Italy’s shores and recently passed a new law toughening the rules on rescues.

Carlo Calenda, Italy’s former economy minister, believes that people in distress at sea should be rescued “at any cost,” but he also believes that “illegal immigration routes must be closed.”

European Commission President Ursula van der Leyen expressed her sadness at the incident and called the loss of life of innocent migrants a tragedy. She emphasized the need to “redouble our efforts” to make progress on reforming EU asylum rules to address the challenges related to migration to Europe.

Pope Francis, a staunch defender of migrants’ rights, has expressed his condolences for the deceased, missing, and surviving victims of the ongoing migrant crisis in the central Mediterranean.

Since 2014, over 20,000 people have reportedly perished or disappeared while attempting to cross the treacherous waters of the central Mediterranean.

Regina Catrambone, the director of Migrant Offshore Aid Station, a search and rescue organization operating in the Mediterranean, has called for greater collaboration among European nations in addressing the issue.

Catrambone has criticized the “shortsighted” mentality that suggests that countries in close proximity to Africa and the Middle East should bear the brunt of the problem. Instead, she has urged governments to work together to improve search and rescue efforts and establish safe and legal routes for migrants.

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