A small boat carrying refugees and immigrants heading for Europe across the Mediterranean dawn overwhelmed on the southernmost tip of Lampedusa in Italy on the 7th. According to Italian media, 22 people were rescued by the coast guard of the country, but 13 women died. About 50 people are believed to have been on the small boat, and more than 20 people including 8 children are missing.
According to Italian media, the small ship departed from Tunisia in North Africa and was discovered by the Italian Coast Guard patrol boat while drifting through the Mediterranean Sea. As the patrol boat began rescue operations, the small boat capsized. It seems that the balance was lost because the people who were riding gathered on one side. The site is about 10 kilometers off Lampedusa, and at the time of the accident, strong winds were blowing and the sea was rough. All the people on the small boat were not wearing life jackets.
Lampedusa is a destination for refugee ships departing from Libya and Tunisia in North Africa, but there are many cases of sinking along the way. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), about 65,000 refugees and migrants crossed the Mediterranean Sea from January this year to 7th of this month. It is expected to climb to 1041 people. (Rome = Shinichi Kawarada)
/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/KMEYMJKESBAZBE4MRBAM4TGHIQ.jpg)
