New Delhi

Fifty-nine migrants died and 80 others survived after their boat sank off the Italian coastal city of Crotone in the southern region of Calabria on Sunday (February 26). Speaking to the news agency Reuters, Danilo Maida, a spokesperson for the firefighters' service in Calabria, said that firefighters and other emergency workers were looking for more survivors at sea using jet skis, but conditions were harsh, making the search difficult.

Advertisment

The boat had 120 migrants aboard. The overloaded vessel reportedly broke apart and sank in rough seas off southern Italy.

The boat was bringing migrants from Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. It broke apart after it crashed against rocks in rough weather and sank, said the Adnkronos news agency. Video footage shows timber from the wreckage smashed into pieces washing up along the beach.

In a statement, Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said, "It is a huge tragedy which shows the absolute need to act firmly against irregular migration channels," Reuters reported. Piantedosi added that it was essential to stop sea crossings which, offering migrants the illusory mirage of a better life in Europe, enriched traffickers and cause tragedies like today. 

Advertisment

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, meanwhile, expressed "deep sorrow" for the deaths. Blaming human traffickers, she vowed to block migrant sea departures to prevent such disasters.

Italy has been one of the main landing points for migrants trying to enter Europe by sea, and the central Mediterranean route has been one of the most active and dangerous routes for people crossing to the continent. 

Since 2014, more than 20,000 people have died or gone missing on this route, according to the International Organisation for Migration's Missing Migrants Project. 

Advertisment

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.