(CMR) Sixty-two people have been confirmed dead after a wooden sailing boat believed to be carrying refugees crashed into rocks off the coast of Italy’s Calabria region on Sunday.
The bodies of many victims, including children, were recovered washed up on a tourist beach in Steccato di Cutro, while others were found at sea, The Guardian reported.
The vessel is believed to have departed from Turkey with people from Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan onboard. Eighty people have been rescued, of whom 20 were taken to hospital.
“Some survivors say there were 120 onboard the boat; others say 200. The numbers are difficult to establish, we just have to wait. Maybe when the sea is calmer, it might return more bodies, even after a week,” said Sergio Tedesco, the commander of the local police force. “”
According to the Guardian, remains of the boat, which reportedly snapped in two, were strewn along the coast, along with belongings of its passengers, including shoes, rucksacks, and a child’s rubber float.
A Turkish national has been detained on suspicion of human trafficking, police said.
Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan, said on Monday that more than two dozen Pakistanis were believed to have been among those who drowned.
Italy is one of the main landing points for people trying to enter Europe by sea. More than 100,000 refugees arrived in Italy by boat in 2022.
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