At least 11 people have died and 64 are missing after two shipwrecks off the coast of southern Italy. The first shipwreck occurred about 125 miles off Calabria, where a boat that had set off from Turkey eight days earlier caught fire and overturned. Survivors reported to United Nations agencies that they came from Iran, Syria, and Iraq. The Italian Coast Guard immediately diverted two merchant vessels nearby to the scene of the rescue operation and was assisted by assets from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex. The survivors were brought to Roccella Jonica, where one of them died soon after being rescued. In a separate incident, 10 bodies were found on a wooden boat off Italy's Lampedusa island. Both ships were in international waters where Italian and Greek search-and-rescue zones overlap.
The second shipwreck took place about 200km (125 miles) east of Calabria, where a sailing boat was found partially sunk. The Italian Coast Guard received a Mayday call from a French boat in the area and rescued 11 people, including two who were unconscious. The refugees and migrants involved in this shipwreck also came from Iran, Syria, and Iraq.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported that a total of 64 people were missing at sea. The Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Center immediately diverted two merchant vessels sailing nearby to the scene of both rescues, while assets from Frontex also helped in the search-and-rescue efforts.
The survivors were brought to Calabrian ports and entrusted to medical personnel for care. The UN agencies urged EU governments to step up Mediterranean search-and-rescue efforts and expand legal and safe migration channels, so that migrants are not forced to risk their lives at sea.
