Italy migrant deaths: rescuers find 60th body after migrant shipwreck off Calabria

At least 60 migrants have drowned in a disaster off the southern coast of Italy, as their boat attempted to land, with a baby and several children believed to be among the dead, latest reports confirm.

The migrants, from Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Somalia, drowned when the boat the overloaded boat they were travelling in crashed into rocks and broke apart at dawn on Sunday morning, according to Italian RAI state radio. The boat had left Izmir on Turkey’s east coast three or four days ago, according to an Italian official.

It is believed that the boat was carrying around 150 migrants when it crashed; several bodies washed up on the shore of Steccato di Cutro, a seaside resort on Italy’s south coast in the province of Crotone. More bodies were reportedly found in the water.

The Italian coast guard, border police and firefighters were involved in a major rescue effort - around 80 of those on board were reported to have been recovered alive with more than 20 of those believed to have been taken to hospital. The cause of the incident is believed to have been rough weather at sea which caused the boat to crash onto rocks and break apart.

AGI reported that a baby was among the casualties, but a full list of those who died has not yet been confirmed.

Italy is one of the main landing points for migrants attempting to enter Europe by sea, but it is also a very dangerous crossing - International Organization for Migration’s Missing Migrants Project estimates that more than 20,000 people have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean since 2014.

Vigili del Fuoco, Italy’s institutional agency for fire and rescue service, this morning tweeted: “#Crotone , intervention #vigilidelfuoco and @guardiacostiera from the early hours of the morning for a boat of migrants that ran aground in Steccato di Cutro. Reported several deceased among migrants, about forty survivors. Intervention in progress”

This afternoon, Vigili del Fuoco shared a video of the rescue operation and tweeted: “#Crotone migrant shipwreck, the rescue of #vigilidelfuoco continues on the beach in the Steccato di Cutro area. Difficult operations at sea, divers and aquatic rescuers busy”.

In a statement, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said: “The government is committed to preventing (migrant) departures, and with them the unfolding of these tragedies, and will continue to do so, first of all by demanding maximum collaboration from (migrants’) countries of departure and of origin”.