The Italian Coast Guard and
Italian finance police rescued 22 survivors and recovered the
bodies of 13 people, all women, after a boat carrying about 50
migrants overturned Sunday night a few miles off the coast of
Lampedusa.
According to an initial reconstruction of event, when rescue
patrol boats arrived to rescue the migrants from the boat, all
the migrants moved to one end of the boat, causing it to
overturn.
Survivors said eight children are among those missing.
Agrigento prosecutor Salvatore Vella arrived on the island to
lead a probe.
He said none of the migrants had a life jacket.
"On board the boat they were all without a life jacket, if
they had had one they would all be safe," he said.
"There were more than 50 on the boat. Most of the survivors,
13 men and nine women, are only safe thanks to the courage of
the men of the coast guard and the finance guard".
Prosecutors have already opened an investigation into
shipwreck and multiple manslaughter, against person or persons
unknown.
The NGO Open Arms said it saved 40 people from a different
boat overnight, including a young boy and a newborn.
Lampedusa bears the brunt of migrant landings from north
Africa, especially Libya.
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