This was assured by the coastguard of the Italian city of Crotone, in the south of the country The shipwreck killed 62 people of a ship carrying migrants.

The boat sank this Sunday after hitting some rocks in the Mediterranean Sea just 100 meters from shore. Euronews reports that around 80 survivors managed to reach Steccato beach, while more than 60 travelers died.

The survivors are being treated by emergency teams.

It is known that among the dead there are at least 20 minorsone of them a baby, twins and a nine year old girl.

“It is criminal to board a ship only 20 meters long with up to 200 people on board and with a bad weather forecast,” he said. Georgia Melonithe Italian Prime Minister, in a statement.

Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, also spoke of the tragedy. It is necessary to “redouble efforts on the Migration Pact and the Right to Asylum and the Action Plan for the Central Mediterranean,” he said.

Due to its geographical location, Italy has become a favorite destination for asylum seekers moving from North Africa to Europe.

According to the Ministry of the Interior about 14,000 migrants have arrived in Italy since the beginning of the yearcompared to 5,200 in the same period last year and 4,200 in 2021.

A few days ago, parliament passed a new law requiring humanitarian ships to carry out one rescue operation per trip to sea.

Critics say the rules increase the risk of death in the central Mediterranean, considered the world’s most dangerous journey for migrants.