At least 30 migrants were rescued, with 17 more potentially saved, while others remained unaccounted for after a merchant vessel capsized during the operation. The crew member who survived alerted the Italian Coast Guard, explaining that the vessel had been within Libya’s designated rescue zone.
The search for the missing was supported by merchant ships and two Frontex aircraft, the European border agency reported in an official note.
The Alarm Phone network, a coalition of activists who relay calls from endangered boats in the central Mediterranean, condemned what it called attacks on those in distress. They accused Italian authorities of failing to intervene despite receiving reports of the boat’s location. It was Saturday night when these events unfolded.
According to a revised briefing from the Italian Coast Guard, the vessel was in a search and rescue area but officials noted the inaction of other National Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centers in the vicinity, pointing to Libya and Malta as contributors to the delay.
The ministry announced that the merchant ship Basilis L reported the vessel drifting and struggling to complete the rescue amid adverse weather. Libyan authorities responsible for search and rescue were removed from their posts, and due to insufficient naval resources in the region, Rome’s National Maritime Rescue Coordination Center was alerted at the Libyan authorities’ request. An emergency message was sent via satellite to all passing ships.
This latest shipwreck followed the Calabria coast tragedy near Cutro, where at least 79 migrants died. An inquiry was opened to determine possible duties of the Coast Guard Command, with Frontex indicating a fishing vessel in the area though no rescue action was taken.
Saving Humans, a Mediterranean NGO, said that in the days since the Cutro disaster, a new case of severe distress and slow rescue efforts had appeared in the central Mediterranean. The organization urged immediate action to save both the missing and the survivors.
The wreck occurred off the Libyan coast, and Alarm Phone provided context on the authorities’ limited response. Italian authorities gave directions to merchant ships in the area but the vessels remained observers rather than rescuers, a fact shown in footage from Sea Watch’s Seabird2 aircraft.
The video depicted a vessel in grave trouble as heavy seas pounded the hull. Merchant ships attempted to shield the ship from the waves but could not intervene effectively.
One observer said that news of another ship from Libya breaking apart was circulating. The ship was reportedly seeking help and was advised to contact the Libyan coast guard. The observer lamented the ongoing situation, saying it marks a painful chapter for Italy and Europe and calling for a moment of silence for those lost in the sea.
Nearly 4,000 migrants have arrived on Italy’s shores in the past five days. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani described the scene as alarming and urged Europe to recognize the gravity of the crisis in a radio interview.
Since the start of 2023, the Italian coastline has seen 17,592 arrivals, a figure more than triple the 5,976 arrivals recorded in the same period the year before, underscoring the mounting pressure on European border nations.