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Aid Ship Captain Recounts Dramatic Rescue of Migrants off Italian Coast

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The captain of an aid ship recounted the dramatic rescue of migrants trapped in the cargo hold of a sinking boat off the coast of Italy. Ingo Veert, captain of the RESQSHIP aid vessel, shared on BBC’s Today programme how his crew used axes and hammers to save two men from below deck after initially rescuing 50 migrants from the deck of the distressed boat near Lampedusa. Sadly, 10 men were found dead below deck.

Another 64 migrants are reported missing at sea after a second vessel sank near Calabria, approximately 125 miles off the Italian coast. Of the 12 survivors from this incident, one died after reaching shore, as confirmed by the Italian coastguard.

The survivors of the Lampedusa incident were handed over to the Italian coastguard on Monday morning, while the deceased were being transported to the island, according to RESQSHIP. The migrants had departed from Libya and Turkey, each paying around $3,500 (£2,759) for the journey, as reported by Ansa news agency.

Captain Veert, who commands the Nadir rescue ship, recounted receiving the first distress call at 01:30 local time about an overloaded migrant boat. By 03:00, his crew reached the sinking vessel, where they found water flooding in and people in a state of panic. The crew distributed life jackets and used axes and hammers to break through the deck to rescue two trapped men, one of whom had a dangerously low body temperature of 32°C. Veert described the survivors as very young men, aged between 18 and 25, from Syria, Egypt, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, according to UN agencies.

In the separate Calabria incident, aid agencies reported that many of the missing are children, with at least 26 among the unaccounted for. Shakilla Mohammadi of MSF relayed survivors’ accounts indicating that 66 people, including entire families from Afghanistan, were missing. These families had left Turkey eight days prior, endured several days taking on water, and lacked life vests. Some vessels had passed without offering assistance.

The Mediterranean remains the deadliest migration route globally, with over 23,500 migrants dead or missing since 2014, according to UN data.

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Infant and Mother Among Six Fatalities as Migrant Boats Capsize near Italian Shore

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Six individuals, including a mother and her baby, have tragically lost their lives as three migrant vessels sank in the Mediterranean Sea.

One vessel sank off Tunisia’s Kerkennah Islands, resulting in four confirmed deaths, while 51 people are feared missing.

Another heartbreaking incident occurred near the Italian island of Lampedusa, where a mother and her one-year-old baby perished. Over 30 individuals are unaccounted for after two boats sank.

The victims, hailing from the Ivory Coast, were discovered by coastguards. The boats departing from the Tunisian city of Sfax were carrying 48 and 42 people, respectively, bound for Lampedusa.

The Kerkennah Islands incident involved passengers primarily from sub-Saharan Africa, according to Tunisian authorities.

Tunisian officials also found the remains of 10 migrants on a beach near Sfax, likely due to a storm that possibly caused their boat to sink.

Sfax is recognized as a common departure point for migrants aspiring to reach Europe for better prospects.

Italy’s coastguard rescued 57 migrants from the sunken vessels located southwest of Lampedusa. The UN’s migration agency reported over 30 missing individuals initially.

The tragedies come after a fatal boat accident in Greece in June that resulted in numerous deaths and missing persons.

Subsequent to the recent events, Italian authorities, along with patrol boats and charitable organizations, have rescued around 2,000 more migrants arriving on Lampedusa.

However, rescue operations are hampered by adverse weather conditions and substandard boat quality. In some instances, boats’ engines are stolen mid-journey by traffickers for reuse.

NGOs have criticized Italy’s far-right government for passing laws that force rescue ships to use distant ports, increasing costs and reducing effective patrolling.

The Italian interior ministry reported a significant rise in sea migration figures this year, reaching 92,000 compared to 42,600 in the same period last year.

Since March, crossing attempts from Sfax to Lampedusa have surged due to Tunisian President Kais Saied’s accusations against sub-Saharan migrants.

The Central Mediterranean crossing from North Africa to Europe remains a deadly route, with over 1,800 lives lost, though the actual toll is suspected to be higher, says the International Organization for Migration.

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