TORINO – So far 150 people have been rescued, and hundreds more are awaiting rescue as the death toll is expected to rise
At least 93 people were killed when a boat carrying as many as 500 illegal migrants sank off the southern Italian island of Lampedusa, according to Italy’s ANSA news agency.
The boat caught fire and capsized off the island of Lampedusa, officials said. A pregnant woman and many children were among the dead.
So far 150 people have been rescued and hundreds more are awaiting rescue, officials said. The death toll is expected to rise.
Mayor of Lampedusa Giusy Nicolini said bodies were recovered by emergency workers, and described the scene in the region as horrific.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Agrigento started an investigation into the incident.
Prime Minister Enrico Letta met with Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Angelino Alfano regarding the incident, and Alfano is set to visit the island, it has been reported.
More than six thousand people have been killed in the past 10 years in the Strait of Sicily, according to Italy’s ANSA news agency.
