Italy Migrant Shipwreck: More Than 170 People Feared Dead

1 March 2023 01:45

The death toll from a crashed migrant boat off Italy's Southern coast rose to at least 64 after emergency teams resuming search operations recovered a body early on Tuesday, (28/2/2023) morning. More were feared dead, after survivor accounts that the boat, which set off from turkey last week, was carrying about 170 people.

firefighters estimated that given its size, the boat could carry up to 200 migrants. On Tuesday, the beach at staccato di cuatro, on Calabria’s Ionian coast, was still littered with the vessel's splintered remains, passengers' belongings, and a few life jackets scattered amid the debris.

authorities in the southern city of Crotone asked relatives to provide descriptions and photos of loved ones to help identify the dead in a makeshift morgue at a sports arena.

The United Nations and doctors without borders said many of the victims were Afghans, including members of large families, as well as Pakistanis, Syrians, and Iraqis.