At least 59 people, including children and several women, died after a wooden boat carrying migrants was torn apart on rocks off the coast of Calabria, according to Italian authorities.
The death toll is approximate and may continue to surge. Lousy weather in that part of the Mediterranean sea is hindering search efforts by expanding the debris field.
The first three bodies washed up on the beach near Staccato di Cutro in Southern Italy around 4:40 a.m. local time Sunday.
The vessel left The Turkish city of Izmir three or four days ago with 140 to 150 people on board, Reuters reported.
Around 80 people were saved from the water, clinging on to pieces of the boat. The survivors were from Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, Italy’s fire brigade told CNN.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni blamed human traffickers. “It is criminal to launch a boat just 20 meters long with 200 people on board in adverse weather,” she said in a statement. “It is inhumane to exchange the lives of men, women, and children for the price of a ticket under the false perspective of a safe journey.”
