Italy says six dead, 40 missing after migrant shipwreck

According to the United Nations on Wednesday, six individuals have perished and 40 remain missing following a migrant shipwreck in the Mediterranean, while Italian officials conducted search operations for survivors near Lampedusa.

An inflatable dinghy carrying 56 people left the Tunisian port of Sfax on Monday before getting into trouble, she said.

“After a few hours of sailing, the dinghy began to deflate and take on water. Six bodies recovered. 40 missing,” she wrote.

Italy’s coastguard said it pulled 10 people to safety and was scouring the area for survivors.

“Due to the particularly adverse weather and sea conditions, the search operations are being carried out with the support of various aircraft… which will take turns in overflying the area,” the coastguard said in a statement.

The dinghy was said to have been discovered somewhat deflated near the small rocky islet of Lampione, located to the west of Lampedusa, which is nearer to North Africa than to Europe.

The coastguard indicated that the search and rescue centers in Malta and Tunisia have been notified in efforts to locate the missing. According to a UNHCR spokesperson the six men and four women rescued reported that there were 56 individuals aboard from the Ivory Coast, Mali, Guinea, and Cameroon.

Survivors, currently getting psychological assistance, stated that some of the missing individuals had gone overboard during turbulent waters, as reported by the AGI news agency.

Following the rescue of migrants, another group of 40 migrants arrived on Lampedusa after journeying from Sfax in metal boats, according to the ANSA news agency. On Tuesday, there were five landings in Lampedusa, totaling 213 migrants, which increased the number of individuals at the island’s reception center to 230, it reported.

Approximately 8,743 migrants have reached Italy this year, which is a bit higher than during the same timeframe last year, as reported by Italy’s interior ministry.