FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
migrants lost their lives as a result of the sinking of a ship on the Italian island of Lampedusa. Only 4 people managed to escape the disaster, who told rescuers that they had been on a boat that had left Sfax in Tunisia and had sunk en route to Italy. Originally from Ivory Coast and Guinea, they arrived in Lampedusa on Wednesday.
The survivors, a 13-year-old boy, 2 men and 1 woman, told rescuers that they were in a boat carrying 45 people, including 3 children, adding that the boat, which was about 7 meters long, drifted away from Sfax on Thursday last week but sank within hours after being hit by a huge wave.
It is learned that only 15 people were wearing life jackets, but apparently this was not enough for them to escape.
The survivors said they managed to swim to safety and were later spotted by a cargo ship, from which they were then transferred to an Italian coast guard vessel.
The United Nations migration agency, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said the migrants would have little chance of survival.
"Migrants leaving Tunisia are forced to use these low-cost iron boats, which break down after 20 or 30 hours of sailing. With this kind of sea, these boats capsize easily,” said IOM spokesman Flavio Di Giacomo.
Tunisian authorities say Sfax, a port city about 80 miles from Lampedusa, is a popular gateway for migrants seeking safety and a better life in Europe.
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