The Alarm Phone international sea
rescue group on Sunday accused Italy of culpably delaying the
rescue of a boatload of 47 migrants, most of whom are feared to
have drowned after their rickety vessel capsized off Libya, two
weeks after the Cutro disaster that saw at least 79 migrants die
on the Calabrian coast.
Alarm Phone tweeted: "We are in shock. According to different
sources, dozens of people from this boat in distress have
drowned. We first alerted authorities at 2:28h CET on 11 March,
emphasising the urgent distress situation. The Italian
authorities knowingly delayed rescue and let them die."
There has not been official confirmation of the shipwreck.
Many of the 47 migrants aboard a boat drifting off Libya Sunday
are missing after ending up in the water after the boat
capsized, the Mediterranea Saving Humans NGO said.
Mediterranea said "a few days after the Cutro disaster we are
faced with a new, dramatic case of non-assistance and delay in
rescuing people in danger at sea.
"Every effort must be made to locate the missing and save their
lives".
Some 79 people are officially dead in the Cutro disaster with a
further 18-20 still missing.
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