Italy retrieves seven bodies from Oct. 7 migrant shipwreck

Record ID: 1437117

  • Title: Italy retrieves seven bodies from Oct. 7 migrant shipwreck
  • Date: 17th October 2019
  • Summary: LAMPEDUSA, ITALY (OCTOBER 17, 2019) (REUTERS) BODY IN BODY BAG BEING CARRIED AND PLACED IN COFFIN OFFICIALS ON DOCK BODY IN BODY BAG BEING CARRIED ON DOCK OFFICIALS WALKING ON DOCK TRUCK CARRYING COFFINS DRIVING AWAY COAST GUARD VESSEL IN PORT
  • Embargoed: 31st October 2019 15:33
  • Keywords: Migrants Lampedusa deadly shipwreck Italy
  • Location: LAMPEDUSA, ITALY
  • City: LAMPEDUSA, ITALY
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001B1HLBUV
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Italy recovered from the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea the bodies of a child and six other people who died last week after a crowded migrant boat capsized off the coast of Lampedusa, authorities said on Thursday (October 17).
    Men from the Italian coastguard, dressed in white suits and wearing masks over their faces, carried the bodies of the victims on the dock of the island's small port in black bags. Wooden coffins were laid on the port side.
    On the day of the shipwreck, October 7, the bodies of 13 women were recovered and the coastguard said 13 men and women survived the sinking of the boat.
    The boat, which appeared to have started its trip in Libya and had stopped in neighbouring Tunisia, was carrying more than 50 people when the disaster struck.
    Most of the passengers came from Tunisia or sub-Saharian Africa. None of them were wearing life-jackets.
    The bodies were retrieved by a team of 29 scuba divers, six miles off the island at a depth of 60 metres.
    After the shipwreck, prosecutors in the southern city of Agrigento opened an investigation into the disaster, with proceedings against persons unknown.
    The recovery of a further five bodies is expected to take place on Friday.
    (Production: Guglielmo Mangiapane, Oriana Boselli, Antonio Denti)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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