Instead, at least 111 drowned and 155 survived, some of whom were in the water for three hours, clinging to anything buoyant—even empty water bottles.
Boat captains in Italian waters have been dissuaded in the past from helping migrants in distress because they fear prosecution under an Italian law aimed at curbing illegal migration. But Boldrini said the law of the sea requires assistance to be given to anyone in need.
Reports that a boat didn't help the stranded migrants prompted a Dutch lawmaker to call for an investigation. While survivors have told authorities that a boat passed, there has been no single vessel identified nor have prosecutors launched a formal investigation.
Italian lawmaker Pia Locatelli, part of the delegation, told The Associated Press the migrants reported that a boat circled them with a light and then went away. They also saw one or perhaps two more boats in the distance before the fire.
“They were absolutely sure in telling the boat went around their own boat,” Locatelli said, but they were unable to offer a further description.
The migrants found themselves in a rocky bay and couldn't make the shore, according to humanitarian organizations. Locatelli said their engine hadn't broken down, contrary to other reports, and the migrants were unclear on why they didn't try to find a landing point with the boat.
Normally, migrants who are seeking refugee status have phones they use to contact authorities when they reach shore, but officials say this group was forced to give up their phones in Libya.
More than 20 survivors attended a private ceremony in a hangar where caskets containing the bodies of those recovered were prepared.
