Pope Francis lamented this Sunday the death of more than 40 migrants, including several minors, on the coast of southern Italy, after the precarious boat in which they were traveling collided with 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 one of them, for the disappeared and for the other surviving migrants”, Francis said at the end of the Angelus in Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican City.
The sinking occurred at dawn, at a time of strong maritime unrest.
Rescue teams said they found 43 bodies and 80 survivors.
Among the victims are many children, including a newborn baby, and women, according to rescuers.
The authorities fear that the number of fatalities could increase, since, according to reports from survivors, there were between 150 and 250 people on board.
The Italian press reported that the immigrants are from Iraq, Iran, Syria and Afghanistan.
The Italian police images showed wooden remains scattered along 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-meter ship with 200 people on board and bad weather forecast” at sea.
Italy’s geographic location makes it a top destination for asylum seekers moving from North Africa to Europe, and Rome has long complained about the number of arrivals on its territory.
According to the Italian Ministry of the Interior, almost 14,000 migrants have landed in Italy since the beginning of the year, up from about 5,200 during the same period last year and 4,200 in 2021.
Source: TSF
