At least 58 migrants, including some children, have died in a shipwreck off the Calabrian coast in southern Italy. The shipwreck occurred after an overloaded wooden boat transporting approximately 150 people crashed against rocks on the country’s shores, on Sunday, 26 February. The crash, which took place amid stormy weather, occurred near the seaside resort of Steccato di Cutro, where many of the deceased’s bodies were recovered from the beach. A local government official told Reuters that the death toll currently stands at 58. Eighty people have survived, among whom 20 have been hospitalized. One survivor has been arrested on charges of migrant trafficking. The ship, which was carrying migrants from Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Somalia and other countries, had reportedly set sail from Turkey several days ago. Several Italian officials have spoken out about the shipwreck, which the mayor of Steccato di Cutro, Antonio Ceraso, described to Rai News as unprecedented. “There had been landings but never a tragedy like this,” he said. Italian President Sergio Mattarella noted the difficult circumstances which pushed the victims to leave their home countries, saying: “Many of these migrants came from Afghanistan and Iran,…
58 Dead, 20 Injured in Migrant Shipwreck off Southern Coast of Italy
February 26, 2023
