At least 30 migrants missing in shipwrecks off Italy

Italy's Lampedusa Island, a destination for migrants in recent years

Survivors said about 28 people were missing in the first shipwreck and three in the second. Both ships sank in stormy weather on the night of August 5 and were old iron-hulled vessels. They are believed to have set off from the Tunisian city of Sfax.

Police in the Italian city of Agrigento have opened an investigation into the two shipwrecks. The city's police chief, Emanuele Ricifari, said the traffickers knew that rough seas were forecast and yet allowed or forced migrants to travel in such dangerous conditions, which was an immoral crime.

The Mediterranean migration route from North Africa to Europe is the world’s most dangerous. More than 1,800 people have died trying to cross this route this year, more than double the number from last year, according to IOM press officer Flavio Di Giacomo. “The actual number could be much higher,” he said. “The large number of bodies found at sea suggests that shipwrecks have occurred that we are not aware of.”

According to Mr. Di Giacomo, the reason for many shipwrecks is that human traffickers use cheap iron-hulled boats or the engines of migrant boats are stolen by traffickers at sea.

According to VNA