ITALY: Coast Guard found 8 bodies floating in Maltese territorial waters

The Italian coast guard rescued 46 people and found eight bodies, including that of a pregnant woman, after it was found floating in Maltese territorial waters, the ANSA news agency reported in the early hours of today.

The vessel was spotted by the Guardia di Finanza (Italy's special police force responsible for financial crimes) in Malta's search and rescue zone as it approached the small island of Lampedusa (south), ANSA explained.

It was carrying dozens of people who had departed from the coast of northern Africa, according to the agency. Among the dead are three women, one pregnant. Among the 46 rescued there are two other pregnant women.

The mayor of Lampedusa, Filippo Mannino, appealed to Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni not to leave his island alone in dealing with this "enormous tragedy".

"Please help us, we can't go on like this," Mr Manino told ANSA, as he headed to the island's port.

Every year, tens of thousands of people fleeing their countries to escape armed conflict or poverty try to reach Europe, in the hope of finding a better life, sailing across the Mediterranean mainly from Libya, whose shores are some 300 kilometers from Italy. The vessels they board often carry far more people than they can fit and are anything but safe.

In 2022, around 2.000 migrants and refugees were lost in the Mediterranean, including nearly 1.400 in the central Mediterranean, which is by far the most dangerous maritime migration route in the world, according to data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Source: RES-EAP