Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Feb 26: A migrant boat shipwreck in southern Italy has resulted in more than 30 fatalities and more than 40 survivors, according to a representative for the Italian fire department on Sunday.
The incident took place near Steccato di Cutro, a seaside resort on the eastern coast of Calabria, the region that forms the tip of Italy’s boot.
The number of fatalities has exceeded 30, said Danilo Maida, spokesman for the Calabrian firefighters’ agency, adding that the count was provisional.
Firefighters and other rescue services were using jet skis to search for further survivors at sea, but the tough weather made the search challenging, he added.
27 victims were discovered on the beach, while other remains were seen at sea, according to earlier reports from the Italian news agency ANSA.
“It is a huge tragedy which shows the absolute need to act firmly against irregular migration channels,” Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said in a statement.
