At least 13 women have died and eight children are missing after a boat capsized in rough seas off the Italian island of Lampedusa on Sunday night as a patrol vessel attempted to save it. Only four of the 13 recovered bodies have been identified by surviving family members, including that of a 12-year-old girl. According to an initial reconstruction of events, all the people onboard moved to one end of the vessel as the rescue boat arrived, causing it to overturn. “The goal for those departing from Tunisia is to reach the Sicilian coast directly and evade controls,” said Vella. “A strong agreement will help save lives and demonstrate that EU countries are committed to working together to uphold basic values and international obligations,” said the Amnesty migration researcher, Matteo de Bellis.

Source: The North Africa Journal October 08, 2019 14:30 UTC