Overview
In a tragic incident, at least 12 people, including Pakistani immigrants, died when two boats carrying migrants sank near the Italian waters. This event underscores the perilous nature of migration routes across the Mediterranean Sea.
Details of the Incident
The First Boat
Rescue Operations
- Rescue Group: The German aid group RESQSHIP, operating the Nadir rescue boat, was involved in the rescue.
- Rescue Numbers:
- 51 people were rescued from a sinking wooden boat.
- 10 bodies were found trapped in the lower deck of the vessel.
- 2 rescued individuals were unconscious.
Survivors’ Fate
- Transfer: Survivors were handed over to the Italian coastguard.
- Destination: They were taken ashore on Monday morning.
Boat Details
- Condition: The Nadir towed the wooden boat containing the deceased towards the Italian island of Lampedusa.
Origins and Nationalities
- Departure Point: The boat had set off from Libya.
- Passengers’ Nationalities: Included migrants from Syria, Egypt, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
The Second Boat
Location and Incident
- Location: About 200 km east of the Italian region of Calabria.
- Incident: The boat, which had set off from Turkey, caught fire and overturned.
Rescue and Missing Persons
- Rescue Numbers:
- 11 people were rescued.
- 64 people are missing.
- The body of a woman was recuperated.
Eyewitness Account
- Shakilla Mohammadi: Doctors Without Borders (MSF) staff member provided information based on survivor accounts.
- Unaccounted Individuals: 66 people, including at least 26 children, some just a few months old.
- Conditions: Survivors reported having no life vests and some vessels did not stop to help them.
Origins and Nationalities
- Departure Point: The boat had departed from Turkey eight days prior.
- Passengers’ Nationalities: Included migrants from Iran, Syria, and Iraq.
UN and International Reactions
UN Agencies’ Statements
- Involved Agencies: The UN refugee agency (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the UN children’s agency (UNICEF).
- Call to Action: Urged EU governments to enhance Mediterranean search and rescue operations and expand legal migration channels to prevent such tragedies.
Migration Data
- Dangerous Route: The central Mediterranean is considered one of the world’s most dangerous migration routes.
- Casualties: As per UN information, more than 23,500 transients have passed on or disappeared in its waters beginning around 2014.
Conclusion
These tragic events highlight the desperate conditions faced by migrants attempting to reach Europe and the urgent need for improved safety measures and legal migration routes. The stories of those who perished and survived emphasize the human cost of migration policies and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean.
Table of Contents
References
- UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR): UNHCR Press Release
- International Organization for Migration (IOM): IOM Statements
- Doctors Without Borders (MSF): MSF Reports
- RESQSHIP: RESQSHIP Operations
