Italian coast guards patrol the beach after nightfall, where the bodies of almost 60 migrants, including 12 children.
Dozens more are still missing in the rough waters of the calabrian coast after their overcrowded wooden boat crashed into some rocky reefs before dawn on Sunday.
Around 80 people have been found alive, but authorities fear the death toll may exceed 90, as some survivors have indicated that the boat was carrying at least 150 people on board when it set sail from Turkey.
Gaetano Lombardo, lieutenant of the financial police, reported that four alleged smugglers are being investigated:
“A suspected smuggler was also identified during the operations, along with a carabinieri patrol and investigations are currently underway to determine the responsibility of three other suspected smugglers, also of Turkish nationality, who are currently on the run and the search continues. “
Italy’s Interior Minister has visited the scene, and while the country’s right-wing government has pledged to stem the flow of migrants to Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has expressed her “deep regret” over the deaths and has blamed the traffickers.
The corpses are being transferred to a sports stadium in the nearest city, Crotone.
Locals say they have had many migrant landings in the past, but never a tragedy like this.
According to follow-up groups, More than 20,000 people have died or disappeared at sea in the central Mediterranean since 2014.
Source: Euronews Español
