Over 20 dead after migrants' boat capsizes near Italy’s Lampedusa Island: UN

At least 20 migrants have died after a boat capsized off the southern Italian island of Lampedusa, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Rescue operations are ongoing, and several migrants are still reported missing. Survivors said the boat carried between 92 and 97 people when it departed from Libya.

Filippo Ungaro, UNHCR spokesperson in Italy, confirmed that 60 survivors were brought to a reception centre in Lampedusa. Authorities have recovered 20 bodies so far, and searches continue for 12 to 17 missing migrants. "Twenty bodies have been recovered and the same number are missing," Ungaro wrote on social media.

The UNHCR stated that 675 migrants have died making the Mediterranean crossing so far this year, not including the latest incident. Survivors’ accounts did not specify how long the migrants had been at sea before the accident occurred.

Earlier in August, at least 68 African migrants were killed when a boat capsized off the coast of southern Yemen. UNHCR officials expressed “deep anguish” over the Lampedusa disaster, highlighting ongoing risks faced by migrants attempting sea crossings. The Italian Interior Ministry has not issued a statement regarding the incident.