Two Children Dead After Boat Capsizes in Mediterranean: Sea Watch

Lampedusa: Two children have died and one person is missing after a migrant boat capsized in the southern Mediterranean during a rescue attempt by a merchant ship, Sea Watch reported on Wednesday. The search-and-rescue NGO stated that the survivors are currently aboard the merchant ship but face the risk of being returned to North Africa by the Libyan coast guard, where they may encounter “torture and death.”

According to Ansa News Agency, Sea Watch observed the distressed vessel, which had 90 people on board, struggling at sea for three days. Despite their calls for assistance, Frontex arrived six hours later, only to observe the situation and depart. The NGO accused Italian authorities of impeding efforts to reach Italy, warning of the imminent danger posed by the Libyan Coast Guard potentially returning the migrants to Libya.

Sea Watch expressed its inability to intervene directly, as their vessel, the Aurora, has been blocked by Italian authorities in Lampedusa for purported violations of rescue operation regulations. The NGO criticized the impoundment of the Aurora as “groundless,” expressing concern over the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean.