Survivor of Sunk Migrant Boat off Lampedusa Identified as 11-Year-Old Girl
15
World
December 11, 2024 18:40
rome - An 11-year-old girl has been identified as the sole survivor of a sunken migrant boat off Lampedusa, Italy. The girl, believed to be from Sierra Leone, was rescued by rescue workers and brought to safety on the Italian island.
An 11-year-old girl has been identified as the sole survivor of a migrant boat that sank off the coast of Lampedusa, Italy. The girl, believed to be from Sierra Leone, was among 44 others on a boat that departed from Tunisia. She recounted to rescue workers that the ship sank three days ago during a storm. The child was found wearing a life jacket and holding onto a lifebuoy when she was discovered in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday.
During the same night, nearly 360 migrants arrived in Lampedusa, according to reports from ANSA. They had traveled on multiple boats originating from Libya. These passengers hail from Bangladesh, Egypt, Eritrea, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Iran, Morocco, and Pakistan.
The girl was rescued by Compass Collective, an organization assisting in migrant rescues in the Mediterranean Sea. The crew was en route to another incident when they came across the girl. The organization presumes that the other 44 passengers have drowned.
The sea route between Tunisia, Libya, Italy, and Malta is considered one of the most dangerous in the world for migrants. Since 2014, more than 24,300 people have gone missing or perished there, according to figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Lampedusa serves as a popular stopover for migrants heading to Europe, as the island is closer to Tunisia than to Sicily or mainland Italy. This year, approximately 64,000 migrants have arrived in Italy by sea so far, compared to over 153,000 in the same period last year.