At least 41 migrants have died in a shipwreck off the coast of the Italian island of Lampedusa, according to the testimonies of survivors rescued by local authorities. The survivors, three men and a woman from the Ivory Coast and Guinea, have told rescuers they were among 45 people who boarded a boat in Sfax, Tunisia, hoping to reach Europe.
The victims have stated that they were rescued by a cargo ship and then transferred to an Italian coast guard ship. According to the survivors, the boat capsized and sank last Monday night, stranding them at sea for two days until they were rescued. Italian media have confirmed that the migrants were on a boat carrying 45 people, including three children.
The cargo ship alerted the Italian coast guard, which sent a patrol to pick up the survivors and bring them to Lampedusa. The coast guard has already started a search operation for the missing migrants, but so far no bodies or remains have been found. According to the authorities, the survivors are receiving medical and psychological assistance on the island, where they have requested asylum. The victims are among more than 2,000 migrants who have arrived in Lampedusa in the past week.
Lampedusa is the closest point in Italy to North Africa and a common destination for migrants fleeing poverty, war and persecution. More than 1,800 people have died this year trying to cross the dangerous Mediterranean Sea, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
