News World At least 94 dead in migrant shipwreck off Italy

At least 94 dead in migrant shipwreck off Italy

Rome: A ship carrying African migrants to Europe caught fire and capsized off the Italian island of Lampedusa on Thursday, killing at least 94 people as it spilled hundreds of passengers into the sea, officials



Antonio Candela, the government's health commissioner for Palermo, said 159 people had been rescued, but the boat is believed to have been carrying as many as 500 people, the LaPresse news agency reported.

Nicolini said the ship had caught fire after those on board set off flares so it would be seen by passing ships.

The ship apparently then capsized, spilling the passengers into the sea near Conigli island.

Lampedusa is closer to Africa than the Italian mainland—a mere 70 miles (113 kilometers) off the coast of Tunisia—and is the frequent destination for smugglers' boats.

Latest World News