At least 26 die in migrant shipwreck off Italy's Lampedusa island

At least 26 die in migrant shipwreck off Italy's Lampedusa island

At least 26 people died in a migrant shipwreck off the southern Italian island of Lampedusa on Wednesday, August 13, and 60 were brought ashore, the coastguard said, adding that the death toll was still provisional amid ongoing search operations.

The disaster, in this case involving people travelling from Libya, is the latest to befall migrants making the perilous Mediterranean crossing from Africa to Europe.

An Italian law enforcement aircraft spotted a capsized boat with bodies in the water about 14 miles (23 km) off Lampedusa on Wednesday morning, triggering a rescue operation, the coastguard said in a statement.

The coastguard said five ships, two aircraft and one helicopter were operating at the rescue site. Initial tallies from the UN refugee agency UNHCR indicated that the group of migrants comprised some 92 to 97 people.

REUTERS VIDEO

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