Nine people are dead and 15 are missing after the latest migrant-boat shipwreck in the southern Mediterranean. The victims include a girl estimated to be aged between four and eight.
The Italian Coast Guard managed to save 22 people in an operation in the Maltese search-and-rescue zone. The survivors and bodies of the victims were taken to Lampedusa, Italy's southernmost island and the destination migrant-boats from North Africa frequently head towards. Rough sea conditions, with waves over two meters high, are complicating the search for the missing people, the Coast Guard said Thursday. The boat was carrying 46 people from Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali and the Ivory Coast. It departed from Sfax to Tunisia on Sunday and is believed to have capsized in rough seas on its way to Italy. The Coast Guard is appealing for anyone with information about the incident to call the Malta Coast Guard on 0300 123 9091 or call 1-800-273-8255. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here for details.