Six people are dead, and 40 others are missing after a boat capsized off the Italian island of Lampedusa earlier this week.
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According to The Guardian, the tragic accident occurred on Tuesday, March 18. Italian police patrols discovered the half-sunken boat near the islet of Lampione. The Italian coastguard responded and rescued 10 people so far. The search for more survivors resumed in the early hours of Wednesday.
Survivors revealed to rescuers that about 56 people were onboard the boat when it capsized. It had departed from Sfax in Tunisia and encountered bad weather.
The survivors further revealed that many people who were on board fell into the water.
The Deceased and Rescued From the Boat Capsizing Were Taken to Lampedusa
The bodies of the six people were taken to Lampedusa. The survivors, six men and four women, were transported to a reception center on the island.
Father Marco Pagniello, the director of the Italian unit for the Catholic church-run charity Caritas, spoke out about the boat capsize disaster. “The deaths in the Mediterranean of those who set out in search of a more dignified future point a finger towards our own inability to imagine a future capable of giving hope and horizons of life.”
“During days in which the merciless violence of wars are once again getting the upper hand over the prospect of peace, all the more is required of everyone,” he continued. “But especially those who have received the mandate to work for the common good, to respond first and foremost to the needs of those who are forced to abandon their home. We cannot get used to these [tragic] events as if they are business as usual.”
The boat capsize incident occurred amid an increasing number of people arriving in Italy. Many had been coming after making rough journeys across the Mediterranean from North Africa.
The Guardian points out a steady increase. In January, 3,368 arrived in Italy, compared to 2,258 in the same month in 2024. Most of the people who came to Italy were from Libya.