Italy migrant ship sinks off Calabria coast, several dozens feared to be dead; Details here

It is suspected that over 100 individuals, including minors, have perished following the capsizing of a boat in the turbulent waters off southern Italy.

The incident resulted in the confirmed death of 62 migrants, among whom were 12 children, including an infant. The vessel, believed to have transported roughly 200 passengers, disintegrated while attempting to dock near Crotone on Sunday. Reports indicate that those aboard hailed from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Iraq, and Iran.

The bodies of the deceased were retrieved from the beach at a nearby coastal resort in the Calabria region. According to the coastguard, 80 individuals, some of whom were able to reach the shore after the sinking, have been found alive, indicating that many more remain unaccounted for.


One survivor has been taken into custody on charges of migrant trafficking, as stated by customs police. The majority of those on board were presumed to be from Pakistan, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reporting that over two dozen Pakistanis were among the deceased.

Despite ongoing assistance and relocation efforts, a group of survivors from the tragic shipwreck is grappling with the loss of their loved ones.

At a makeshift shelter located in the town of Isola di Capo Rizzuto, a few of the survivors were sobbing silently, while others were sitting blankly, enveloped in blankets. "They are heavily traumatized," remarked Sergio Di Dato, a member of the charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). "Some children have lost their whole family. We are offering them all the support we can."


A 16-year-old Afghan boy lost his 28-year-old sister, who perished on the beach beside him. He is unable to summon the courage to notify his parents.

A 43-year-old Afghan man and his 14-year-old son survived, but his wife and three other children, aged 13, nine, and five, did not. Another Afghan woman was inconsolable, refusing to leave the beach after losing her spouse.

Secretary-General António Guterres urged countries to take more significant steps to assist refugees and migrants and called for enhanced rescue operations and safer travel routes while addressing the UN's Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed deep sorrow and attributed the deaths to traffickers.

Ms Meloni's right-wing government has pledged to prevent migrants from reaching Italy's shores and has recently enacted a strict new law tightening rescue regulations.

The boat, which had departed from Turkey a few days earlier, is said to have sunk after crashing into rocks during rough seas. Timber from the wreckage and parts of the hull washed up on the shore, as seen in video footage.

Since 2014, monitoring groups have reported that over 20,000 people have died or disappeared at sea in the central Mediterranean.

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