A British rescue organization announced on Wednesday that a boat carrying 45 refugees capsized near the Italian island of Lampedusa in the Mediterranean Sea. According to the organization, an 11-year-old girl was the sole survivor.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported on Wednesday, December 11, quoting the British rescue group Camps Collective: “We assume she [the 11-year-old girl] is the only survivor of the shipwreck, and the remaining 44 people have drowned.”
The British organization stated that one of their ships rescued the 11-year-old girl from Sierra Leone early Wednesday morning during another rescue mission in the area.
In their statement, the organization revealed that the girl had been floating on the water for three days with two life vests made from tire tubes. A doctor from the organization examined the girl and noted that she had been in the water for approximately 12 hours.
The rescued child explained that the refugees had departed from the Tunisian coast in North Africa. Their boat overturned due to a storm during the journey.
Local media reported that Italian police and naval forces have launched a search and rescue operation, but no trace of the remaining 44 passengers has been found yet.
This region is one of the main routes used by migrants from African countries attempting to reach the Italian coast. According to local authorities, more than 17,000 people have drowned or gone missing on this route since 2014.
This tragic incident underscores the perilous journeys refugees undertake in search of safety and a better life. The loss of 44 lives highlights the urgent need for stronger international collaboration to address the migrant crisis and provide safer alternatives for asylum seekers.
As the search continues, the focus remains on rescuing any potential survivors and preventing such tragedies in the future through improved rescue operations and policies to tackle the root causes of migration.
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