Update 3: The Death Toll of Refugees Around Lampedusa Rises to 94, 150 Rescued, More than 200 Still Missing
(CNN) -- At least 94 people, including a pregnant woman and two children, died when a boat capsized and caught fire off the island of Lampedusa, the Italian coast guard told CNN on Thursday. The coast guard
(CNN) — At least 94 people, including a pregnant woman and two children, died when a boat capsized and caught fire off the island of Lampedusa, the Italian coast guard told CNN on Thursday.
The coast guard has been able to save at least 151 people, and the rescue operation is ongoing.
Lampedusa’s boat people: One man’s story
The boat is thought to have been carrying up to 500 people. Those aboard include Somalis, Eritreans and Ghanaians, the coast guard said, and the boat is thought to have launched from Libya’s coast.
Lampedusa, the closest Italian island to Africa, has become a destination for tens of thousands of refugees seeking to enter European Union countries.
The head of the U.N. refugee agency, Antonio Guterres, praised the efforts of the Italian coast guard but said he was “dismayed at the rising global phenomenon of migrants and people fleeing conflict or persecution and perishing at sea.”
Another 13 men drowned off Italy’s southern coast Monday when they attempted to swim ashore, the U.N agency said in a statement.
It is working with countries in the region to find “effective alternatives” so people don’t risk their lives trying to make perilous journeys by sea, it said.
Pope’s prayers
Lampedusa, a tiny island off the coast of Sicily, was in the news this summer when the pope went there to pray for refugees and migrants lost at sea.
Truly truly i say to you October 3, 2013
The number of death is reached now more than 150. There are still many missing. The situation is just like an earthquake causing lost of life, in a very short time it is hard to estimate the exact number of death. There is fear the number of death still more and more increasing. Some of the rescued looks alike Eritreans. No question most those died too could be. Assenna please continue abdating us!
Kalighe October 3, 2013
“Another 13 men drowned off Italy’s southern coast Monday when they attempted to swim ashore, the U.N agency said in a statement.
It is working with countries in the region to find “effective alternatives” so people don’t risk their lives trying to make perilous journeys by sea, it said.”
Are they going about this to PFDJ ?, a government that looks somewhere else when it’s citizens are dying is morally corrupt and criminal to say the least. The UN agencies and the European Parliament should raise this issue and bring it to the attention of European governments. Unless the government of Eritrea is pressurized through a severe regime of sanctions, there will be more refugees trying to find a decent life
Kalighe October 3, 2013
Continued …
Unless the government of Eritrea is pressurized through a severe regime of sanctions, there will be more refugees trying to find a decent life in free world.
Italy as ex-colonizer of Eritrea, considering historical relations between the two countries, it has the moral obligation to start diplomatic efforts at European level that can put an end to dictatorial regime in Asmara.
Eritrean civic organization is Diaspora, in particular those in Europe, need not wait for any one to do the right thing to save their people. And those who still think there is a government in Eritrea that cares for it’s people, this tragedy should be an eye opener to them, so that they can see, as the rest of the world has several times before, that Eritrea has no government so to speak of. The ruling fascist clique in Asmara is godless, insensitive to the suffering of it’s people ,and too cruel to be called a government. Please abandon the camp of dictatorship and join hands with your co-citizens to save your people before it gets too late. If not you then who ???
Mike October 3, 2013
….And the Eri -TV calls is African Immigrants. What a shame! What a government! First of all Eri-TV had no business to bring it up now – where was Eri-TV when all others met the same fate? Countless others? Sinai and Libya and Sicily. After the world and concerned Eritreans spoke Eri-TV now calls this tragedy “African Immigrants” in a passing remark. Who is running the show there Issayas too?
petros October 3, 2013
Very sad news. Though the problem is DIA, we should united as one people to save our people. One does not have to be pro or anti DIA in order to save the lives of innocent Eritreans.
KELETA October 3, 2013
ERITREAN PPL WEAK UP…SHOULD BE UNITED . THIS DICTOTER GOVT SHOULD BE REMOVE, WE LOVE OUR COUNTRY WE HATE THE DICTOTER GOVT, PLZ WE SHOULD UNITE….SHAME ON ER_TV…THEY SAID AFRICAN REFUGEE,,,
samuel October 3, 2013
ዳርጋ 100 ዝኣኽሉ ስደተኛታት ተጎዓዝቲ መይቶም አለዉ።
“Unglücklicherweise brauchen wir keine Krankenwagen mehr, sondern Särge”, sagte der Arzt Pietro Bartolo. “እቲ ዘሕዝን፡ ሕሙማት ዘባጻጽሓ መካይን ዘይምድላይና እዩ። ዘድልየና ሳናዱቕ ሬሳታት እዩ።” ፔትሮ ባርቶሎ (ሓኪም።
Die Überlebenden der Schiffstragödie sollen überwiegend aus Somalia und Eritrea stammen.
እቶም ካብ’ዚ ትራጀዲ ዝደሓኑ፡ መብዛሕትኦም ኤርትራውያንን ሶማላውያንን እዮም። “ዜጋታት አፍሪቃ?!”
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/lampedusa-fast-hundert-passagiere-von-fluechtlingsboot-sterben-a-925972.html
እቶም ሰብኩም ዝሰአንኩም፡ ጽንዓት የውርደልኩም።
ሰናይ ምሸት
KELETA October 3, 2013
all Eritrean plz sms(sent text message on mobile) for friends and family for prayer,,,
ERITRAWIT October 3, 2013
YEHWAT MESAKIN KAB HAWI NAB HAWI ERITREA HAGEREI DEKIKY HUKOFI AMLAK HAGZENA RAHWA HABENA.
haben October 3, 2013
This massage is for all oppositions & civic organizations, what are you waiting for !!! why don’t organize our people, especially the young generation all over the world and fight against the DIA. Instead taking your sweet time fighting for power. We are losing our generation.