Italy migrant boat shipwreck: More than 100 people feared dead

BBC News:

There are fears that more than 100 people, including children, have died after their boat sank in rough seas off southern Italy.

At least 62 migrants are confirmed to have died.

The vessel, which is thought to have been carrying some 200 people, broke apart while trying to land near Crotone on Sunday.

People from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Iran were on board.

Bodies were recovered from the beach at a nearby seaside resort in the Calabria region. There were 12 children among the victims, including a baby.

The coastguard said 80 people had been found alive, “including some who managed to reach the shore after the sinking”, meaning many more remain unaccounted for.

Many of those on board were thought to be from Pakistan.

The country’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif referenced reports that more than two dozen Pakistanis were among the dead, and called the news “deeply concerning and worrisome”. He instructed Pakistan’s diplomats to “ascertain facts as early as possible”.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), is assisting people on the ground.

“We have cases of children who became orphans, such as a 12-year-old Afghan boy who lost his entire family, a family of nine people, including four siblings, parents and other close relatives,” said Sergio Di Dato, from the charity.