Migrants and missing boat off the coast of Libya: 116 people feared dead
A major tragedy is feared in the central Mediterranean, where it is believed that a boat carrying migrants sank after leaving Libya, resulting in the deaths of about 116 people, while only one survivor was rescued after days.
The non-governmental organization Alarm Phone reported that the boat left the coastal city of Zuwara in Libya on the evening of December 18 with 117 people on board. According to unconfirmed information from the sole survivor, the boat sank shortly after departure. The survivor was rescued by Tunisian fishermen and later taken to the hospital.
Alarm Phone reported that it issued an alert after receiving reports of a drifting boat and losing contact with it. The organization attempted multiple times to communicate with the boat via satellite phone, but received no response, increasing fears of a sinking.
The survivor mentioned that the weather conditions deteriorated rapidly, with strong winds and a rough sea just a few hours after setting sail. Alarm Phone confirmed that efforts to verify the details are ongoing, as no official confirmation has yet been received from the authorities.
In the days following the suspected incident, Alarm Phone contacted the Italian, Libyan, and Tunisian coast guards. According to the organization, no rescue or interception operations were carried out due to bad weather, and no migrant boats from Libya reached Lampedusa between December 18 and 21.
Several ships belonging to non-governmental organizations patrolled the area, and aerial reconnaissance operations were conducted in the following days. However, no survivors or visible wreckage were found. Alarm Phone strongly criticized what it described as the silence and indifference of the authorities, demanding transparency and answers for the families of the missing who are searching for their loved ones.