At least 27 migrants were killed after their boat sank at dawn not far from the Italian city of Crotone, in Calabria (south), the media reported on Sunday.
According to the Ansa agency, the death toll would be 30 people, but the search is still continuing in a sea made difficult for the rescuers due to large waves.
According to the AGI agency, the immigrants' boat ,
which was overloaded, broke in two due to heavy seas
.
source quoting a firefighter who participates in the rescue.
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This umpteenth shipwreck comes just days after Parliament adopted controversial new rules from the government, dominated by supporters of Giorgia Meloni, on the rescue of migrants.
The new law requires humanitarian ships to carry out only one rescue at a time, which critics say increases the risk of death in the central Mediterranean, which is considered the world's most perilous crossing for migrants.
Italy's location makes it a top destination for asylum seekers crossing from North Africa to Europe, and Rome has long complained about the number of arrivals to its territory.