9 people were killed when a smugglers’ boat sank in the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa. On Thursday (April 11), 22 people were rescued from the accident, the Italian Coast Guard said. US-based media AP reported this news.
Authorities said 15 people are still missing.
The U.N. refugee agency said survivors believed the steel-bottom boat had set off from Sfax, Tunisia, on Sunday night with 46 people from Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali and Ivory Coast. They said the boat sank on Wednesday morning.
A 6-month-old baby and eight men were among the dead, UNHCR said. Six survivors are being treated for severe hypothermia and dehydration. Two others have been admitted to the hospital.
There is usually an increase in migration from Africa to Europe around summer. Then the worry of boat sinking also increases. Italian port regulations therefore limit the activities of charity rescue boats.
Italy’s far-right-led government recently ordered charity boats to sail to northern ports after being rescued. reduced their activities. Detaining boats for violating rules.
UNHCR spokesman Federico Fossi said more such incidents could happen as the summer approaches. Because at this time more and more people are going to Italy with completely unprepared boats.
According to the International Organization for Migration, 385 people have gone missing in the Mediterranean Sea on their way to Italy from North Africa so far this year. Since the launch of the Missing Migrants Project in 2014, 23,109 people have gone missing.
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