About thirty migrants they were reported missing following the sinking of two boats off the coast of the Italian island of Lampedusaaccording to the testimony of a survivor, reported this Sunday the International Organization for Migration (OIM).
Some 28 passengers from one of the boats and three from a second disappeared at sea after the boats capsized due to bad weather conditions, the UN agency said. Both ships were made of metal and probably set sail from the Tunisian city of Sfax Thursday.
After speaking with the survivors, it is believed that there are “at least 30 people missing”Flavio di Giacomo, an IOM spokesman, told AFP. An investigation was opened into the incident in Agrigento, on the neighboring island of Sicily.
“The traffickers should have seen that the weather forecast was for bad seas,” said Agrigento police chief Emanuele Ricifari.
“Whoever allowed or forced them out with this sea is an unscrupulous criminal madman,” he told local press.