The boat, with about 120 people on board, hit rocks “a few meters from shore”.
Rome:
At least 43 people were killed and 80 survived when a boat carrying migrants hit rocks off the coast of southern Italy early Sunday.
The wreck occurred near Staccato di Cutro, a seaside resort on the east coast of Calabria, the region that forms the tip of Italy’s boot.
“Currently, a total of 80 survivors have been found – some of whom have managed to reach shore after the shipwreck – and 43 bodies have been found washed ashore,” the Coast Guard said in a statement.
The Coast Guard said the boat with about 120 people on board hit the rocks a few meters from the shore.
Earlier, Catro’s mayor, Antonio Cerasso, told SkyTG24 news channel that women and children were among the dead.
He said the migrants’ wooden boat had “disintegrated” amid stormy sea conditions, with parts of the wreckage scattered about 300 meters from shore.
Her voice breaking, Cerasso said she witnessed “a sight you would never want to see in your life … a gruesome sight … that stays with you for the rest of your life.”
Danilo Maida, a spokesman for Calabria’s firefighters, told Reuters firefighters were searching the sea on jet skis, but conditions were rough, making operations difficult.
Initial reports from ANSA and other Italian news agencies said 27 bodies washed up on the beach and more were found in the water.
Italian news agency Adnkronos said the migrants in the shipwreck came from Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan, while ANSA said they came from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.
‘deceptive mirage’
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed “deep sorrow” for the fatal incident and vowed to stop unregulated maritime migration to prevent more deaths at sea.
His right-wing government has taken a hard line on migration since coming to power in October, mostly by restricting the activities of migrant rescue charities with harsh new laws.
In a separate statement, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said: “It is a great tragedy that shows the urgent need to act firmly against irregular migration channels.”
He said it was “essential” to stop sea crossings, which offer migrants an “illusory mirage of a better life” in Europe, enrich smugglers and “cause tragedies like today’s”, he said.
Pope Francis, an outspoken advocate of migrants’ rights, said he was praying for all those trapped in the shipwreck as he addressed crowds in St Peter’s Square on Sunday.
Italy is one of the main landing points for migrants trying to enter Europe by sea. The so-called Central Mediterranean route is known as one of the most dangerous routes in the world.
According to the International Organization for Migration’s Missing Migrants Project, 20,333 people have died or gone missing in the central Mediterranean since 2014.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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