At least 10 dead after migrant boat capsizes near Malta
At least 10 people have died after a boat thought to be carrying migrants capsized near Malta, according to the Italian coast guard. The vessel had set off from the Libyan coast and was carrying about 60 people when the incident happened. Malta requested assistance in the search and rescue operation after the capsizing was reported, with people said to be in the water.
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The coast guard said an Italian patrol boat recovered ten bodies and that the search in the area was continuing on Sunday afternoon. A fishing vessel operating nearby recovered about 48 people alive, according to the same statement. The figures suggest that most of those on board have now been accounted for, although the final toll remains unclear.
The incident took place on the Central Mediterranean route, one of the deadliest migration crossings in the world. The UN's International Organisation for Migration says at least 827 people have died so far this year trying to make the journey from North Africa to Italy and Malta. It said more than 1,330 people died on the route last year, underlining the scale of the risk faced by people attempting the crossing.
The route has long been a focus for search and rescue operations involving Malta, Italy and international agencies. Boats leaving Libya often travel in overcrowded and unsafe conditions, and capsizings can quickly become mass-casualty emergencies. In this case, the involvement of both Maltese and Italian authorities shows how quickly such incidents can become cross-border rescue operations in the central Mediterranean.
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The immediate cause of the capsizing has not been confirmed, and it is not clear how many people may still be missing. Authorities have not said whether the vessel was intercepted before it sank or what condition the survivors are in. The search was continuing on Sunday afternoon, and further updates are likely to focus on the final casualty count and any identification of those who died.
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