At least 20 people were killed and a dozen more are missing after a migrant boat carrying nearly 100 people capsized in international waters off the Italian island of Lampedusa, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and local officials confirmed on Wednesday, reported by The Associated Press.
The vessel, which departed from Libya with an estimated 92 to 97 passengers on board, overturned “presumably at dawn,” Lampedusa Mayor Filippo Mannino said.
UNHCR Spokesman Confirms the Incident
Over sixty survivors were reportedly rescued and taken to a migrant reception centre in Lampedusa, UNHCR spokesman in Italy Filippo Ungaro said. Authorities are searching for 12 to 17 missing migrants while recovering the bodies of those who drowned.
On his X, Ungaro wrote, “Deep anguish over yet another shipwreck off the coast of Lampedusa, where UNHCR is now assisting the survivors.”
According to UNHCR, approximately 675 migrants have died attempting the central Mediterranean route so far in 2025, excluding the latest incident. In the first six months of the year, 30,060 refugees and migrants arrived in Italy by sea, a 16 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024. (AP Inputs)
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