At least 60 people may have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea aboard a ship from Libya bound for Malta or Italy, workers at a charity that rescues migrants said on Thursday.
SOS Mediterranee said it had rescued 25 people in “very weak” conditions on Wednesday, together with the Italian Coast Guard, and that two other unconscious people were airlifted to Sicily.
The Mediterranean Sea is one of the deadliest migratory routes in the world. According to the United Nations (UN) agency IOM, nearly 2,500 migrants died or disappeared in the region last year while trying to cross the sea. In 2024 alone there will already be 226.
“The survivors left Zawiya, Libya, seven days before being rescued,” SOS Mediterranee said on the social media site food for days. Report from survivors. that at least 60 people died on the voyage, including women and at least one child.”
The IOM said it was “very troubled” by the news: “Urgent action is needed to strengthen maritime patrols and prevent further tragedies,” the agency said on Platform
Groups like SOS Mediterranee complain that Italy’s right-wing government is hindering their work to rescue victims, forcing them to travel to distant ports to disembark migrants and sometimes even seizing their ships.
According to data from the Italian Ministry of the Interior, 5,968 immigrants have arrived in the country by sea this year, compared to 19,937 in the same period in 2023.
Source: Terra
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