At least three people, including two children aged 3 and 4, have died during a perilous sea crossing from Libya to Italy, according to the German humanitarian organization RESQSHIP. The victims were among a group of migrants attempting to reach Europe aboard a rubber dinghy that became stranded after its engine failed.
RESQSHIP reported rescuing 59 survivors from the same boat, which had been drifting in the Mediterranean south of the Italian island of Lampedusa since Wednesday. By the time rescuers reached the vessel on Saturday afternoon, it was already too late for some onboard.
“Two bodies of young children were handed over to us,” said a RESQSHIP paramedic, adding that the children likely died from dehydration the previous day. An unconscious man was also found during the rescue but could not be revived.
Survivors sustained severe injuries, including chemical burns caused by prolonged exposure to saltwater mixed with fuel — a common hazard in such crossings.
Lampedusa, located between Tunisia and Sicily, remains a key landing point for migrants attempting the dangerous journey across the central Mediterranean. Despite efforts to curb migration through controversial agreements between the EU and North African nations, the route continues to claim lives.
Since 2014, nearly 25,000 people have died or gone missing in the central Mediterranean, according to the International Organization for Migration. So far this year alone, at least 378 migrants have lost their lives.
