Italy May Have Found Boat that Killed 900 Migrants

Italy’s Marina Militare published images of what they believe is the wreck of the ship that sank off Libya on April 18, killing up to 900 migrants in what could be the biggest loss of life involving refugees and migrants in the Mediterranean.

The Italian Navy used two minesweepers and a smaller navy vessel fitted with sonar equipment, as well as a semi-submersible, to locate a 25-meter boat that matches the description of the one that had sunk last month.

The ship was located at the depth of 375 meters some 85 miles north of Libya. However, a Navy official said that even though the located wreck matches the length and the description, it is still not certain that the located boat in fact is the boat that carried the migrants to their death.

The Italian Navy and Coast Guard have recovered 24 bodies and 28 survivors from the sunken ship, including the ship’s captain and another survivor, who had been charged with human trafficking by a prosecutor’s office in Sicily.

World Maritime News Staff; Image: Marina Militare