Italian authorities resumed their search for migrants missing at sea on Thursday, August 14, after two boats sank off the island of Lampedusa, with 27 people already confirmed dead. After the tragedy on Wednesday, 60 survivors were brought to shore, all of them "in good health," according to a spokesman for Italy's Red Cross, which manages the migrant reception centre on Lampedusa.
He told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the bodies of 23 of the victims had already been recovered. Efforts were underway to try to identify them. On Wednesday night, the coastguard had put the death toll at 26, but this rose to 27 overnight, according to the UN.
"At least 27 people have drowned in a tragic shipwreck near Lampedusa," said Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, in a statement on social media. "Over 700 refugees and migrants have now died in 2025 in the Central Mediterranean," he said, adding: "All responses – rescue at sea, safe pathways, helping transit countries and addressing root causes – must be strengthened."
Lampedusa, located just 90 miles (145 kilometers) off the coast of Tunisia, is often the first port of call for people trying to reach Europe in leaky or overcrowded boats.
According to Italy's coastguard, the two boats that sank on Wednesday had left Tripoli, Libya, earlier in the day. The Red Cross, citing survivor testimony, said they left Zawiya, to the west. One of the boats started taking on water, causing people to climb onto the other boat, which itself then capsized, the coastguard said.
Five vessels were involved in the search for survivors, including one from the EU's Frontex border agency, alongside a helicopter and two aircraft.