Over 60 migrants are believed dead after a boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea, according to rescuers.
The incident occurred as migrants traveled from Libya to Europe, running into bad weather during the voyage.
Dozens of people reported missing in Mediterranean after vessel capsizes | Libya | The Guardian https://t.co/WPkOsp0gs4
— Esther Major (@esthermajor) March 12, 2023
"Italian authorities had requested merchant vessels in the area to intervene, according to Mediterranea. However, it said they did not carry out a rescue operation once they reached the area," the Guardian reported.
"Mediterranea’s head of mission, Luca Casarini, told Reuters that four merchant vessels were still in the area," it added.
BREAKING: One person has died and another is in a critical condition in hospital after a boat carrying migrants got into trouble in the Channel.
Read more ⬇https://t.co/0Vc06jgYrH
— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 15, 2023
"The survivors have been taken to Calais while a search is continuing by air and sea," Sky News reported.
"Rescuers reached the craft at about 1am local time and found one of the boat's tubes was deflated and people were in the water. Two of the migrants were found unconscious," it continued.
Dozens of migrants missing after boat sinks of Libyan coast, U.N. agency says https://t.co/yp0Iwfl7CI
— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 17, 2023
"Libya and Tunisia are principal departure points for migrants risking dangerous sea voyages in hopes of reaching Europe via Italy," CBS News reported.
"In the latest incident most of the victims, which included women and children, were from Nigeria, Gambia and other African countries, the IOM office said, adding that 25 people were rescued and transferred to a Libyan detention center," it noted.
Over 2,250 people have reportedly died this year in the Mediterranean as migrant crossings by boat have increased in recent months.
The deaths include several hundred migrants who died in a single incident in June as a fishing boat called the Adriana sank, with only 104 of about 750 people surviving. The growing migrant crisis in Europe continues to lead to deadly situations as over 150,000 migrants from North Africa have already made it to land in Italy in 2023.
The situation has been a major part of conservative Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni winning her election with her campaign focusing on reducing illegal migration into the country. The ongoing problem has also been associated with increased human trafficking in Italy as migrants have often been mistreated following their arrival into Europe.
