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LAMPEDUSA, ITALY – A devastating capsizing of a migrant boat has occurred off the coast of the Italian island of Lampedusa, leaving at least 27 people dead, including a one-year-old girl, with dozens more feared missing. The tragic incident underscores the perilous dangers of the central Mediterranean migrant route, considered one of the world's deadliest.
The disaster unfolded in international waters, approximately 14 miles from Lampedusa. According to survivors, the journey began with two boats departing from Libya. When one of the vessels began to take on water, all passengers were transferred to the second, a fiberglass boat. Overcrowded and unstable, the vessel capsized, plunging its passengers into the sea.
In the wake of the tragedy, rescue operations were immediately launched by the Italian Coast Guard and the EU border agency Frontex. A total of 60 survivors—56 men and four women—were pulled from the water and transported to a reception center on the island. Four of the rescued individuals required hospitalization for minor fractures. However, search efforts continue for the many who remain unaccounted for, with a UN agency spokesperson estimating that around 35 people may be dead or missing.
The provisional death toll of 27 includes not only the infant girl but also three teenagers, highlighting the immense human cost of these journeys. The survivors and casualties are reported to be from various nations, including Pakistan, Somalia, and Sudan.
This latest incident brings the total number of migrant deaths on the central Mediterranean route to 675 so far this year, according to the UNHCR. The tragic event serves as a stark reminder of the humanitarian crisis unfolding daily in the Mediterranean Sea.
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