Rabat – A boat carrying a group of migrants and refugees sank off the coast of the Italian city Crotone, in the southern region of Calabria, killing 58 with 81 more injured as search operations continue.
The incident took place near Steccato di Cutro, a seaside resort. A baby only months-old was among the victims, Italy’s AGI news agency reported.
“The search operations will continue with naval means, aircraft, and the use of submarines,” Italy’s coast guard said on Twitter.
While a storm at sea could slow down the rescue, the operations will continue according to Italian news agency ANSA.
The crowded vessel, which left from the Turkish city of Izmir full of passengers from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Somalia, sank after violent waves broke it into pieces.
Irregular migration has been in the spotlight in Italy recently, especially after they passed a controversial law tightening restrictions around refugees and asylum seekers.
In December 2022, Italy’s government approved measures to stop migrants who benefit from rescue operations that cross into its borders, and fining charities who rescue irregular migrants.
A cabinet decree said that charities’ ships should be docked at ports, instead of out at sea looking for survivors and potential migrant boat crashes.
The government had also attempted to only allow a small number of migrants in from any given boat, a decision which German charity SOS Humanity took the government to court over.
The recent election of Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government has also stoked fears in the country that the treatment of migrants would get worse.
