27 migrants drown off Lampedusa, dozens rescued

At least 27 migrants, including a newborn and three other minors, drowned on Wednesday when two fiberglass boats capsized 14 miles off the Italian island of Lampedusa. The boats had departed from Libya, carrying people fleeing conflict and poverty.

Italian authorities said 60 survivors — among them 21 unaccompanied minors from Pakistan, Egypt, Somalia, and Sudan — were taken to Lampedusa’s migrant reception hotspot. Rescue operations resumed at dawn on Thursday, with more than 15 people still missing.

The tragedy came amid a surge in arrivals. Just after midnight, another three migrant boats reached Lampedusa, bringing the total number of landings in the past hours to over 100 people.

Humanitarian organizations warn that the central Mediterranean route remains one of the world’s deadliest migration corridors, with thousands dying each year in desperate attempts to reach Europe.