17 people dead and dozens missing after two shipwrecks off coast of Italy

World

At least 11 people have died and dozens are missing after two ships were wrecked off the coast of southern Italy.

A rescue ship run by a German aid group picked up 51 people, thought to be migrants, from a sinking wooden vessel in the first of two shipwrecks.

The RESQSHIP group said two of the 51 were unconscious and that 10 bodies were found trapped on the wooden ship’s lower deck near the island of Lampedusa.

A wooden boat got into difficulty off Libya. Pic: RESQSHIP
Image:
A wooden boat got into difficulty off Lampedusa and floated towards the Libyan coast. Pic: RESQSHIP

The second shipwreck took place about 125 miles east of the Italian region of Calabria, after a boat that had set off from Turkey eight days earlier caught fire and overturned, according to UN agencies. A woman is understood to have died after falling into the water.

At least 12 migrants were rescued, the Italian coastguard said.

The agencies added migrants involved in the second shipwreck came from Iran, Iraq and Syria.

More than 50 people are still missing from the vessel wrecked near Calabria.


Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

Articles You May Like

Chargers rise in second half against Broncos, move closer to playoff berth
Germany is holding early snap elections for the first time in two decades
Thatchers takes battle with Aldi over cider trademark to Court of Appeal
UK minister caught up in Bangladesh anti-corruption probe
New Study Challenges Planet Formation Models with PDS 70b’s Chemical Mystery