At Least 20 Dead, Dozens Missing in Tragic Shipwreck off Italy’s Lampedusa
At least 20 migrants have died and many more remain missing after a boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea near Italy’s Lampedusa, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) confirmed on Wednesday.
“Deep anguish for yet another shipwreck off Lampedusa, where UNHCR is now assisting survivors. About 20 bodies have been recovered, with a similar number still unaccounted for,” said UNHCR spokesperson Filippo Ungaro in a statement on social media.
According to Italian news agency Radio Radicale, the vessel carrying 97 people went down roughly 14 miles southwest of Lampedusa. Rescue officials say around 60 survivors have been brought safely ashore.
Humanitarian group Save the Children reported that among the missing is a one-and-a-half-year-old girl. RaiRadio1 placed the number of missing between 12 and 17.
Authorities said the overturned boat was first spotted from the air by Italy’s financial police during a patrol.
The central Mediterranean route, used by migrants attempting to reach Italy from North Africa is considered one of the world’s deadliest migration paths. Many attempt the crossing in overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels.
UNHCR figures show that 675 migrants have died on this route so far in 2025, while Italy’s interior ministry reports 38,263 migrant arrivals on its shores since the start of the year.
