Forty-one migrants have died in a shipwreck off the Italian island of Lampedusa, survivors told local media.

A group of four people who survived the disaster told rescuers that they were on a boat that had set off from Sfax in Tunisia and sank on its way to Italy.

The four survivors, originally from the Ivory Coast and Guinea, reached Lampedusa on Wednesday.

More than 1,800 people have lost their lives so far this year in the crossing from North Africa to Europe.

Local public prosecutor Salvatore Vella said he had opened an investigation into the tragedy.

The survivors - a 13-year-old boy, two men and a woman - told rescuers that they were on a boat carrying 45 people, including three children.

 

They said the boat, which was about 7m (20ft) long, left Sfax on Thursday last week, but sank within hours after being hit by a big wave. Only 15 people are understood to have been wearing lifejackets, but this apparently failed to save their lives.

The Italian Red Cross and German charity Sea-Watch said the four managed to survive the shipwreck by floating on inner tubes and lifejackets until they found another empty boat at sea, in which they spent several days drifting before being rescued.

The four survivors arrived in Lampedusa suffering from exhaustion and shock, but the doctor who treated them, Adrian Chiaramonte, said they had only minor injuries.

"What really struck us was the story of the tragedy," he said.

"They said they had encountered a first ship, which had apparently ignored them.

"An hour later they were spotted by a helicopter, and an hour after that sighting, they were picked up by an oil tanker."

 

The Italian coast guard reported two shipwrecks in the area on Sunday, but it is not clear whether this vessel is one of those.

 

FULL STORY

 

How can you ignore people who are about to drown?! One can only hope that the responsible people on that ship didn’t see them because having to live with the burden of the deaths of 45 people is probably a hard pill to swallow for most people! 

23 minutes ago, pacovl46 said:

How can you ignore people who are about to drown?! One can only hope that the responsible people on that ship didn’t see them because having to live with the burden of the deaths of 45 people is probably a hard pill to swallow for most people! 

Under maritime law, ships at sea have a legal obligation to help people in distress. 

Just another example of why all migrants applications to move should be processed in their own country, or next safe country embassy of desired destination - and make asylum claims illegal on arrival in Europe. 

 

 

3 hours ago, pacovl46 said:

How can you ignore people who are about to drown?! One can only hope that the responsible people on that ship didn’t see them because having to live with the burden of the deaths of 45 people is probably a hard pill to swallow for most people! 

I don’t think there is any suggestion of mariners ignoring a sinking boat.

 

The prospect of such things are reserved for a particular kind of people from the comfort and safety of their armchair.

13 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

Under maritime law, ships at sea have a legal obligation to help people in distress. 

Exactly! 

10 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I don’t think there is any suggestion of mariners ignoring a sinking boat.

 

The prospect of such things are reserved for a particular kind of people from the comfort and safety of their armchair.

Huh? The article literally says that the survivors said there was a ship who didn’t help them! Why would they lie auf that? 

22 hours ago, Social Media said:

"They said they had encountered a first ship, which had apparently ignored them.

Nowhere does it say the "ignoring" was deliberate!

No details on how far away the ship was, what size and if it acknowledged their presence in any way.

Remember they are in a tiny 7m boat which is not easy to see especially if you are not looking for it!

13 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

Under maritime law, ships at sea have a legal obligation to help people in distress. 

Assuming that they see them.

Not many people on a freighter looking for people in the drink , unless allerted that  that such situation exists. 

8 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Nowhere does it say the "ignoring" was deliberate!

No details on how far away the ship was, what size and if it acknowledged their presence in any way.

Remember they are in a tiny 7m boat which is not easy to see especially if you are not looking for it!

I don't even think the survivors were in the boat when the ship "apparently ignored them"  I wonder where the word "apparently" came from. What is it that made it apparent that they were "Ignored"

Terrible news. Another good reason to stop this illegal immigration and the gangs who control it.

 

Not sure Diane Abbott really thought her tweet through... I've edited out the offensive language. What a woman...

 

 

 

2 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Terrible news. Another good reason to stop this illegal immigration and the gangs who control it.

 

Not sure Diane Abbott really thought her tweet through... I've edited out the offensive language. What a woman...

 

 

 

Context is everything - I presume you inadvertantly forgot to mention that her tweet was in direct response to Lee Anderson's repulsive interview where he told migrants to "f--- off".

 

Fresh from his anti Semitic 'training', it would seem that 30p Lee needs some further tax payer funded lessons on how to be a decent person.

 

 

Lee Anderson tells moaning migrants to ‘f--- off back to France’