The Italian coastguard found 19 dead migrants off Lampedusa, with seven survivors treated for hypothermia and fumes in a dangerous Mediterranean crossing.
LAMPEDUSA: The bodies of 19 migrants were recovered from a boat off the coast of the Italian island of Lampedusa on Wednesday.
The island’s mayor, Filippo Mannino, confirmed the recovery by the Italian coastguard, which staged the rescue operation approximately 135 kilometres off the island.
Seven other migrants, including two children, were rescued and are being treated for hypothermia and intoxication from hydrocarbon fumes.
Italian news agency ANSA reported the operation took place in the early hours of Wednesday inside Libya’s search-and-rescue zone.
ANSA cited strong winds, rain, and temperatures of around 10°C in the area, noting that all the deceased are believed to have died from hypothermia.
The coastguard did not respond to requests for further information from AFP.
Lampedusa remains a primary landing point for migrants attempting the perilous Mediterranean crossing from North Africa.
According to the UN’s International Organization for Migration, 624 migrants have died or gone missing in the central Mediterranean so far this year.
The Italian interior ministry reports that 6,117 migrants have landed on Italy’s shores since the start of the year.
This tragedy follows the last major migrant disaster off Lampedusa in August last year, when 27 people died in two separate shipwrecks.