Death toll in Calabria shipwreck rises to 80 people

The Italian government authorities recovered another body on the beaches of the Calabrian coast, with this victim counting 80 deaths from the shipwreck that occurred on February 26 when a wooden boat carrying at least 200 immigrants from Turkey to the coasts of Italy suffered a damage.

According to a report published by CNN On the day of the incident, the precarious boat was destroyed after reaching the Calabrian coast. Survivors told authorities at the time that the boat fell apart after the engine that was driving it malfunctioned and exploded..

The authorities affirmed that the balance remains at 80 fatalities, of which 32 were minors and 23 of them children between the ages of a few months and 12 years, mostly from Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. Unfortunately, it is expected that this figure will continue to rise in the course of the days.

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency registered around 280,000 irregular entries during the year 2023, 77% in 2021. It is the highest number since the so-called refugee crisis in 2015 and 2016. Several humanitarian organizations dedicated to the rescue and help of immigrants in the Mediterranean affirm that at least 25,975 people have died since 2014 tried to reach Europe from Africa.

According to the news agency Reuters He reported that the boat began its journey from the city of Izmir in Turkey.