In a tragic incident off the Italian island of Lampedusa, two boats carrying migrants capsized, resulting in the deaths of at least 27 individuals attempting to cross the Mediterranean from Libya. About 60 survivors were rescued, but the search for others continues after the vessels reportedly carried over 90 people.
The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) reports that more than 700 people have died trying to navigate this perilous route this year alone. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her condolences, calling the situation a tragedy that evokes deep sorrow and concern over the dangers posed by human traffickers.
Survivors recounted their harrowing experiences, including a Somalian woman who lost both her one-year-old daughter and husband in the chaos of the capsize. Eyewitness accounts suggest that the first boat's capsizing forced passengers into the second, which subsequently also began to take on water.
Lampedusa is known for its migrant reception center, which is frequently overwhelmed by the thousands of migrants arriving each year under dire conditions. Since 2014, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reports that at least 25,000 people are missing or have died while attempting this crossing.
