Dozens killed in separate migrant boat shipwrecks off Italian and Turkish coasts

Published on 01/04/2026 - 15:33 GMT+2

The bodies of 19 migrants were recovered from a vessel disconnected the seashore of Lampedusa connected Wednesday by the Italian coastguard, the island's politician said.

Mayor Filippo Mannino said 7 different migrants, including 2 children, were being treated for "hypothermia and intoxication from hydrocarbon fumes."

The rescue cognition occurred successful the aboriginal hours of Wednesday 135 kilometres disconnected the Italian land wrong Libya's search-and-rescue zone, ANSA reported.

"All are believed to person died of hypothermia," wrote the agency, which cited beardown winds, rainfall and debased temperatures successful the area.

Lampedusa is simply a cardinal landing constituent for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa, with galore dying trying the unsafe journey.

So acold this year, 624 migrants person died oregon gone missing successful the cardinal Mediterranean, according to the UN's International Organisation for Migration.

Lampedusa's past migrant catastrophe occurred successful August past year, erstwhile 27 radical died successful 2 shipwrecks disconnected the coast.

According to the interior ministry, 6,117 migrants person landed connected Italy's shores truthful acold this year.

Muğla shipwreck

Meanwhile, a fast-moving vessel carrying Afghan migrants capsized successful the Aegean Sea connected Wednesday portion attempting to evade the coastguard successful unsmooth waters, leaving 19 dead, including a baby, officials said.

The Turkish Coast Guard Command said the vessel carrying dozens of migrants ignored repeated warnings to halt and attempted to fly astatine precocious speed.

The vessel began to instrumentality connected h2o successful the choppy oversea and yet capsized. At slightest 20 different migrants were rescued.

The sinking occurred disconnected the coastal metropolis of Bodrum, a fashionable Turkish abrogation destination.

All of the migrants were from Afghanistan and the victims included a baby, according to Idris Akbıyık, the politician for Muğla state wherever Bodrum is located, arsenic cited by the state-run Anadolu Agency.

The Greek land of Kos lies immoderate 20 kilometres from Bodrum with different Greek islands including Kalymnos, Leros, and Symi nearby.

Greece is 1 of the main introduction points into the EU for radical fleeing struggle and poorness successful the Middle East, Africa and Asia, with galore making the abbreviated but often treacherous travel from the Turkish seashore to adjacent Greek islands successful tiny boats.

Many are unseaworthy, oregon acceptable retired successful atrocious weather, and fatal accidents are common.

Additional sources • AP, AFP