Italian Coast Guard Brings in Survivors, Deceased After Migrant Shipwreck

Italy and Malta were working to rescue two more migrant boats off the coast of Libya on Monday, April 20, just hours after a large vessel carrying as many as 900 people capsized off the island of Lampedusa. According to Italy’s Coast Guard, 28 migrants were rescued and at least 24 confirmed dead on April 19.

Most of the passengers aboard the overturned 20-metre (70ft) ship were feared dead, in what the UNHCR said could be the “worst massacre ever seen in the Mediterranean.”

Italy’s Guardia di Finanza, which patrols territorial waters, coordinated a rescue and recovery mission.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said countries should unite to combat the smugglers who organize overcrowded vessels, leaving migrants stranded en route to Europe, and called for an emergency European Union summit on migration.

This footage, released by the Armed Forces of Malta, shows the operation Monday morning at Boilers Wharf, Senglea, where 24 bodies were disembarked. The 28 survivors, who were reportedly in good health, will proceed towards Catania. Credit: Armed Forces of Malta