Dozens of migrants die from exposure on Italian coast guard boats

Dozens of migrants die from exposure on Italian coast guard boats
By Euronews with Reuters
Share this articleComments
Share this articleClose Button

The mayor of the Italian island of Lampedusa, Giusi Nicolini, has blamed the death of 29 migrants on the closure of the country’s sea

ADVERTISEMENT

The mayor of the Italian island of Lampedusa, Giusi Nicolini, has blamed the death of 29 migrants on the closure of the country’s sea search-and-rescue mission.

The victims died of hypothermia aboard Italian coast guard vessels after being picked up from an inflatable boat adrift near Libya.

Coast guard commander Giovanni Pettorino said: “criminal smugglers were sending people to certain death and also endangering the live of rescuers.”

Italy’s search-and-rescue mission shut down last year.
Since then no navy ships capable of keeping large numbers of migrants below deck have patrolled the waters near the Libyan coast.

Share this articleComments

You might also like

Italy raises security alert level for Easter weekend following Moscow attacks

Thousands gather to pay tribute to mudered priest Don Peppe Diana

Italy unveils new plan to improve worker safety after construction site disaster