On Tuesday evening, the Italian coast guard rescued 58 migrants and recovered 19 bodies from a distressed inflatable boat off the coast of Lampedusa. The operation took place within the Libyan search and rescue zone, despite particularly difficult weather conditions, a spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday.
According to authorities, the migrants had likely left Libya and the victims are believed to have died of hypothermia, although the exact cause of death remains to be confirmed. The survivors were brought to the island after a ten-hour journey and are being cared for by local health services.
The small island of Lampedusa is the main entry point into Europe for migrants crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa, a perilous route that has claimed thousands of lives. Most of the tragedies involve small, unsafe boats departing from the Tunisian and Libyan coasts.
The most recent shipwreck of this magnitude dates back to August 2025, when a boat carrying nearly 100 migrants capsized in international waters, leaving at least 26 dead.
