Italian Coast Guard Recovers 19 Migrant Bodies Off Lampedusa

The Italian coast guard recovered the bodies of 19 migrants and rescued 58 others, including five children, from a distressed inflatable boat in rough seas south of the island of Lampedusa on Tuesday night into early Wednesday.

The operation occurred about 80 nautical miles off the southern Italian island, within Libya's search-and-rescue zone, where no other vessels were present to assist. An Italian reconnaissance plane spotted the drifting boat on Tuesday, prompting the coast guard to dispatch a vessel from Lampedusa. Survivors were transported back to the island after a roughly 10-hour journey amid extreme weather, including waves exceeding six meters and strong winds.

Coast guard spokesman Roberto D'Arrigo stated that the migrants likely departed from Libya and that the deaths were probably due to hypothermia, though the exact causes remain under verification. Some fatalities may have occurred during the return trip in the perilous conditions. Among the nationalities on board were people from Niger, Nigeria, South Sudan, Ghana, Senegal, and Sierra Leone, according to reports.

Upon arrival in Lampedusa, local health services took charge of the survivors. Lampedusa Mayor...