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Rough seas and shoddy vessels make migrant travel across the Mediterranean extremely dangerous [FILE: Nov 12, 2020] | Photo: Hussein Ben Mosa/IOM/AP/picture alliance
Rough seas and shoddy vessels make migrant travel across the Mediterranean extremely dangerous [FILE: Nov 12, 2020] | Photo: Hussein Ben Mosa/IOM/AP/picture alliance

Italian coast guard finds 6 bodies, 40 migrants missing

Latest update : 2025/03/19
By DW Latest update : 2025/03/19

An inflatable dinghy carrying 56 people had left the Tunisian port of Sfax before getting into trouble in the central Mediterranean.

Six migrants have died and 40 are missing after a shipwreck off the Italian island of Lampedusa, Italian authorities said on Wednesday.

Italian coast guard vessels have so far rescued 10 people and resumed the search for any other survivors, Italy's main news agency reported.

Another deadly shipwreck took place near the Italian island of Lampedusa. More than 140 migrants have died or gone missing in the Central Mediterranean since the start of this year alone | Photo: DW
Another deadly shipwreck took place near the Italian island of Lampedusa. More than 140 migrants have died or gone missing in the Central Mediterranean since the start of this year alone | Photo: DW

What do we know so far?

Survivors reported that several of the 56 migrants fell into the water due to bad weather after leaving Tunisia in a dinghy.

The UN's Refugee Agency, UNHCR said the migrants were from the Ivory Coast, Mali, Gambia and Cameroon. 

The UN estimates that over 2,200 migrants drowned or went missing in 2024, although the true number is most likely higher.

Author: Nicholas Counter with AP, dpa, Reuters

Edited by: Louis Oelofse

First published: March 19, 2025

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Source: dw.com