Pope mourns 41 migrants killed in boat accident off Italy
Pope Francis has commemorated the 41 people who were killed in the latest migrant boat accident in the Mediterranean Sea off the Italian island of Lampedusa.
“Let us not remain indifferent to these tragedies, and let us pray for the victims and their families,” the pope wrote on Twitter on Thursday.
The boat had set sail from the Tunisian coastal town of Sfax in the direction of Italy and capsized when a large wave struck off Lampedusa.
Italian News Agency ANSA reported on Wednesday that at least 41 people were killed in the accident, citing survivor accounts.
A total of 45 people, including three children, were said to have been on the metal boat.
Three men and one woman were rescued by a Maltese cargo ship and brought to Lampedusa by the Italian coastguard.
The island is located just less than 190 kilometres from Sfax.
Neither the freighter nor the coastguard found any bodies in the water, according to ANSA. This could be due to the fact that the survivors were rescued far from the site of the accident.
Following the shipwreck, religious organisations, including the Rome-based Community of Sant’Egidio, which is dedicated to social service, renewed calls to create safe ways for migrants and refugees to reach Europe.
“We need to break out of our torpor and invest resources in rescuing vulnerable people,” the organisation said in a statement.
(dpa/NAN)
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
Economy
Jack-Rich, Trump seek closer U.S.-Nigeria ties
Mr Trump endorsed Mr Jack-Rich’s call for closer engagement, saying Africa possesses extraordinary economic potential that should not be overlooked by the U.S.
Economy
Abia, Enugu collaborate to train 150,000 tech talent
Abia and Enugu have called for stronger regional collaboration to train 150,000 tech talents and incubate 3,000 startups across Nigeria.
States
Museum unveils memorial sculpture to immortalise Onyeama N’Eke
The National Museum of Unity, Enugu, on Wednesday unveiled a memorial sculpture and a permanent exhibition gallery in honour of Onyeama N’Eke.
Health
Kwara assembly backs malaria elimination
The Kwara House of Assembly has reaffirmed support for efforts to eradicate malaria and expand healthcare infrastructure across the state.
NationWide
Tambuwal seeks review of housing agencies, better funding for FMBN
Mr Tambuwal called for stronger funding for the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and a review of government housing policies.
States
Oyo Terrorists: Senate honours slain soldiers, teachers with N50 million donation
Senate president Godwill Akpabio, who gave the approval during the plenary on Wednesday, stated that each of the five bereaved families would receive N10 million.
