Pope Francis lamented the deaths of more than 40 migrants, including several minors, on the coast of southern Italy on Sunday after the precarious boat they were traveling in hit rocks and sank.
“This morning I learned with sadness of the shipwreck off the coast of Calabria, near Crotone. Forty dead have already been recovered, including many children. I pray for each of them, for the missing and for the other surviving migrants,” Francis said at the end of the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City.
The sinking took place at dawn, at a time of strong maritime turmoil.
Rescue workers said many of the victims were children, including a newborn baby, and women.
Authorities fear that the number of fatalities could rise, as survivors’ reports say there are between 150 and 250 people on board.
The Italian press reported that the migrants come from Iraq, Iran, Syria and Afghanistan.
Italian police footage showed wooden wreckage scattered over a hundred meters of beach.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her “deep regret” over the tragedy, saying it was “criminal to put a 20-metre boat with 200 people on board and a forecast of bad weather” at sea.
Italy’s geography makes it an excellent destination for asylum seekers moving from North Africa to Europe, and Rome has long complained about the number of arrivals on its territory.
Nearly 14,000 migrants have landed in Italy since the beginning of the year, up from about 5,200 in the same period last year and 4,200 in 2021, according to Italy’s Interior Ministry.
Source: DN
