sinking of yacht

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Video captures 130-foot superyacht sinking off southern coast of Italy

A superyacht sank off the southern coast of Italy over the weekend of Aug. 20 in a spectacular capsizing captured on video and shared on Twitter by the Italian coast guard.

The video compilation shows the My Saga , a roughly 130-foot boat, struggling against the waves before slowly sinking into the water.

The yacht was sailing from the town of Gallipoli to Milazzo, Sicily, on Aug. 20, local news outlets reported, when it began to take on water and eventually sank some hours later about nine nautical miles off the port of Catanzaro.

All crew members and passengers were rescued and uninjured, the coast guard said on Twitter. It said it launched an investigation to determine what happened.

Nei giorni scorsi, la #GuardiaCostiera di #Crotone ha coordinato operazioni di salvataggio di passeggeri ed equipaggio di uno yacht di 40m, affondato a 9 miglia al largo di #CatanzaroMarina . Avviata inchiesta amministrativa per individuarne le cause. #SAR #AlServizioDegliAltri pic.twitter.com/kezuiivqsM — Guardia Costiera (@guardiacostiera) August 22, 2022

The My Saga first reported a problem on Aug. 20 after setting sail from Gallipoli , on Italy’s southeastern peninsula, according to the country’s National Associated Press Agency (ANSA). Patrol boats from the Italian coast guard in Crotone and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) were dispatched to the scene.

They found the ship taking on water from its stern. Five people — four passengers and a member of the crew — were initially rescued on a Romanian patrol boat acting on behalf of Frontex. They were then transferred to the coast guard boat and taken to Catanzaro.

According to an Italian official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details of an ongoing investigation, the My Saga flew a Cayman Islands flag and was owned by a Danish company. The group on board when the boat took on water included six Italian nationals, two Danish citizens and a South African national, the person said.

The owner contracted a towing company to attempt to rescue the ship, according to the official. A tugboat, the Alessandro Second, arrived and took the four remaining crew members — including the captain — onboard before beginning to tow the ship toward Crotone. But bad weather made the process difficult, as did the position of the yacht, which was tilted into the water.

Eventually, the tugboat abandoned the yacht, and it sank into the Gulf of Squillace. The coast guard took the remaining crew members to Catanzaro.

It’s not the first time a sinking yacht has captured attention on the internet. In May, rapper Cardi B posted footage on social media of a yacht sinking near her hotel while she was on vacation in an unknown location. The artist could be heard screaming as she asked whether there wasn’t a “big boat that could save it.” Eventually, she said “bye-bye” as it disappeared into the water. She later clarified that no one was onboard .

I can’t believe I’m actually watching a yacht sink pic.twitter.com/dLL3ZJJv9R — Cardi B (@iamcardib) May 28, 2022

The same month, passersby watched as another multimillion-dollar yacht, the Rendezvous, sank in Torquay Harbor, a marina in southwestern England, after a fire broke out onboard. Authorities warned of potential air and water pollution because the yacht carried about nine metric tons of diesel.

And earlier this month, the 145-foot Aria SF caught fire off the Balearic island of Formentera in Spain in an incident that was also captured on camera and shared widely on social media. Those onboard were evacuated, and no one was hurt, the Guardian reported . The roughly $23 million yacht had reportedly just been delivered to its owner.

Chico Harlan contributed to this report.

Dramatic video captures the moment a massive 40-meter superyacht sank off the coast of Italy

• A superyacht sunk off the coast of Southern Italy over the weekend.
• Video of the boat's demise showed the ship sinking stern-first with its bow straight in the air.
• The Italian Coast Guard rescued nine people from the ship before it submerged.

A superyacht measuring nearly 130 feet sunk off the coast of southern Italy on Saturday, after members of the Italian Coast Guard rescued nine people from the submerging ship.

This weekend, the Italian press reported that the 39.4-meter motor yacht named "My Saga" sunk off the coast of Catanzaro Marina.

Related stories

Video from the scene shows the massive boat teetering into the water before fully sinking stern-first.

—Sky News (@SkyNews) August 22, 2022

Sky News reported that worsening weather conditions rendered it impossible for a rescue tugboat to bring the yacht to safety.

An investigation into what caused the ship to sink is underway, the outlet reported. 

The yacht was built in Italy in 2007, according to Super Yacht Times, and was traveling from Gallipoli to Milazzo under a Cayman Islands flag with a full Italian crew when it sunk. 

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Dramatic video shows 130ft superyacht sinking off Italy coast after being battered in storm

Nine people rescued before boat went under, article bookmarked.

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Dramatic footage has captured the moment a 40-metre superyacht sank into the Mediterranean sea after being battered in a storm.

The 40-metre-long luxury vessel was sailing from Gallipoli to Milazzo overnight on Saturday when it got into trouble around 15km from Italy’s Catanzaro Marina.

Footage shows the yacht, named My Saga, rapidly disappearing beneath waves, as lifeboats appear to float beside it.

The captain sent out a distress call to the Port Authority of Crotone, with officials told the yacht was taking on a significant amount of water from the stern.

The Italian coastguard dispatched two patrol vessels and rescued all four passengers and five crew members on board.

A tugboat sent out at dawn was unable to save the superyacht from sinking because of worsening weather conditions, the Super Yacht Times reports. The Saga finally sank at around 1pm on Sunday.

The outlet reports the yacht, which was built in Monaco back in 2007, was flying under the Cayman Islands flag with an all-Italian crew when it sunk.

An investigation has been launched into the cause.

The yacht named My Saga sank on Saturday

It comes after a £6 million superyacht sunk after it went up in flames in the UK on the Torquay harbourside.

The 85ft vessel was consumed by fire , with thick black smoking billowing into the sky.

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The yacht reportedly drifted out into the harbour after the fire burnt through ropes securing it to the pier, but the vessel was later secured by the fire service.

A fire service statement revealed that the vessel contained approximately 8000 litres of diesel fuel.

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Watch: 40-metre superyacht sinks off Italian coast

The moment a 40-metre superyacht sank off the coast of southern Italy was captured on video.

Footage released by the Italian Coast Guard shows the luxury yacht, 'Saga,' sinking about nine nautical miles off the coast of Catanzaro in the Ionian Sea.

The vessel, flying the Cayman Island flag, was sailing from Gallipoli to Milazzo, Sicily, on Aug. 20 when it went down.

All the crew members and passengers aboard the yacht were rescued, and an investigation is underway, the Coast Guard said.

Watch the video at the top of this article.

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Massive yacht sinking into sea off coast of Italy caught on video

Luxury yacht was 130-feet long

ROME -- Questions abound after a massive 130-foot luxury vessel was swallowed up by the sea.

The whole thing was caught on camera, CNN reported .

Authorities are trying to figure out what led to a spectacular superyacht suddenly sinking into the sea 9 miles off the coast of Italy.

Shocking video showing the impressive vessel slowly disappearing was shared by the Italian Coast Guard, who had rescued nine people off the vessel as it began to sink.

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Local reports said rough weather conditions made a tug-boat salvage of the yacht impossible.

But authorities are still trying to figure out exactly how it all went down.

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Superyacht sinking off Italian coast caught on video

Italian coast guard rescued 4 passengers and 5 crew members from my saga superyacht.

The Italian Coast Guard captured the moment a 130-foot superyacht sank into the Mediterranean Sea

Footage captured the moment disaster struck off the Italian coast.

The Italian Coast Guard released videos of 130-foot superyacht My Saga sinking into the Mediterranean Sea.

The yacht was cruising from Gallipoli to Milazzo when it began taking on water at the stern Saturday evening.

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The yacht is shown listing heavily to starboard. (Italian Coast Guard)

After receiving a distress call, the Coast Guard dispatched two patrol vessels to rescue the nine people on board, and a tugboat to tow the vessel back to port in Crotone.

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During the rescue operation, the vessel was partly submerged and listed to starboard — nine miles off the coast of Catanzaro Marina. 

Footage captured what happened next as the vessel’s bow went up into the air. Rescuers forfeited the operation and the steel-hulled yacht rapidly disappeared beneath the waves stern-first.

The yacht lists heavily to starboard before submerging underwater. (Italian Coast Guard)

The Italian Coast Guard reported that harsh weather and sea conditions, in addition to the increasing incline of the vessel on its starboard, made retrieving My Saga "impractical."

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The yacht rapidly sank underwater stern-first. (Italian Coast Guard)

My Saga was the first yacht of its caliber that Monaco Yachting and Technologies had built by 2007. The yacht was purchased by an undisclosed owner in 2022, according to SuperYacht Times.

The Italian Coast Guard has launched an "administrative investigation" to identify the cause of the incident, according to a translation of the Coast Guard’s Facebook post.

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Video captures the moment 160-foot ‘007’ superyacht sinks in greece.

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Sunken but not stirred.

Footage captured the calamitous moment that a massive superyacht named “007” sank — with five passengers inside — in Greece

The maritime disaster occurred Friday night after the 160-foot vessel, which reportedly sails under a British flag but is owned by a Swiss businessman, experienced a GPS malfunction off Kythos Island, SWNS reported. This reportedly prompted the captain to bring it closer to shore than was advisable.

As a result, the James Bond-themed luxury boat hit the rocks, and began taking on water with five passengers inside.

“In trying not to be sunk, he sailed closer to shore, in less than 10 meters depth — and that’s how the ship got to that position,” explained a boat owner who witnessed the catastrophe.

Accompanying footage, uploaded to YouTube, shows the swanky vessel, which sports a helipad, lying half-sunken on its side around 50 feet from the nearby Kolona Beach.

Thankfully, all five passengers were rescued and transported to safety before the “007” sank. “No people were hurt,” described the aforementioned eyewitness. “The coastguard was immediately aware and sent help in the night.”

Rescuers also erected an anti-pollution perimeter in the area, although there was reportedly “no diesel leakage or damage to the scenery,” the bystander said.

Local authorities will launch a probe into the sinking of the “007,” which was delivered in 2006 by the Bodrum-based shipyard Aegean Yacht, but whose owner remains unknown.

Along with a helipad, the superyacht reportedly boasts five cabins, including a master suite, and can reportedly sleep ten people.

This isn’t the first time a luxury vessel has visited Davy Jones’ locker of late. Last month, heart-pounding footage emerged of a 130-foot superyacht capsizing and sinking stern-first into the water off the Italian coast.

In February, a Ukrainian man was arrested for partially sinking his Russian tycoon boss’s $7.7 million luxury super yacht in Spain in protest over the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.

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How Jordan Belfort's 37m superyacht Nadine sank off the coast of Sardinia

Related articles.

Coco Chanel was famously outspoken on many things, but yachting, in particular, attracted her ire. “As soon as you set foot on a yacht you belong to some man, not to yourself, and you die of boredom,” she was once quoted as saying.

Her solution was to buy her own yacht. A 37m with a steel hull, built by the Dutch yard Witsen & Vis of Alkmaar. The yacht passed through many hands, finally ending up belonging to the Wolf of Wall Street, Jordan Belfort, on whose watch she foundered and sank in 1996.

The yacht was originally built for a Frenchman under the name Mathilde , but he backed out and she caught Chanel’s eye instead. With a narrow beam, a high bow and the long, low superstructure typical of Dutch yachts of her era, she was certainly a beautiful boat. But she was also well equipped, with five staterooms in dark teak panelling, magnificent dining facilities, room for big tenders and, later, a helipad. A frequent sight along the Florida coast, she caught the eye of a young skipper called Mark Elliott.

“In those days, she was the biggest yacht on the East Coast,” he remembers. “Nobody had ever seen anything like it. I needed a wrench once and went up to the boat - Captain Norm Dahl was really friendly.” He didn’t know it then, but Elliott was destined to become the skipper of the boat himself and was at the helm when the storm of the century took her to the bottom off Sardinia.

Coco Chanel died in 1971 and sometime thereafter the yacht was renamed Jan Pamela under the new ownership of Melvin Lane Powers. He was a flamboyant Houston real estate developer, fond of crocodile skin cowboy boots and acquitted of murder in a trial that gripped the nation.

Powers sent Jan Pamela to Merrill Stevens yard in Miami, where a mammoth seven-metre section was added amidships. “We made templates for the boat where we were going to cut her in half, then she went out for another charter season,” remembers Whit Kirtland, son of the yard owner. “When the boat came back in, we cut it just forward of the engine room, rolled the two sections apart and welded it in.”

He remembers how the sun’s heat made the bare and painted metal expand at different rates. “You had to weld during certain time periods – early in the morning or late at night,” says Kirtland.

The result of the extension was a huge new seven-metre full-beam master stateroom, an extra salon and one further cabin – pushing the charter capacity to seven staterooms. During this refit, the boat’s colour was also changed from white to taupe. “No one had really done it before and it was gorgeous,” says Elliott. By 1983, Powers was bankrupt and the yacht was sold on again. She next shows up named Edgewater .

Elliott’s chance came in 1989. He was working for the established yacht owner Bernie Little, who ran a hugely profitable distribution business for Bud brewer Anheuser-Busch. “Bernie Little had always wanted to own the boat,” Elliott says. “He loved it. He bought it sight unseen – and I started a huge restoration programme, including another extension to put three metres in the cockpit.”

It was a massive task, undertaken at Miami Ship. “We pulled out all the windows, re-chromed everything, repainted – brought it back to life,” says Elliott. They also cut out old twin diesels from GM and replaced them with bigger CAT engines, doubling her horsepower to 800. “Repowered, she could cruise at up to 20 knots. She was long and skinny, like a destroyer.”

A smart hydraulic feature was also brought to life for the first time. Under two of the sofas in the main stateroom were hidden 3.6m x 1.2m glass panels giving a view of the sea under the boat. At the push of a button, the sofas lifted up and mirrors above allowed you to gaze at the seabed – from the actual bed.

Now called Big Eagle , like all of Little’s boats, she was a charter hit and her top client was a certain New York financier named Jordan Belfort. He fell in love with her and begged Little to sell to him. But he needed to secure financing, and in 1995, Little agreed to hold a note on the boat for a year if Mark Elliott stayed on as skipper.

With the boat rechristened Nadine after his wife, Belfort set about another round of refit work, restyling the interior with vintage deco and lots of mirrors, extending the upper deck this time, and fitting a crane capable of raising and stowing the Turbine Seawind seaplane.

Nadine also carried a helicopter, a 10m Intrepid tender, two 6m dinghies on the bow, four motorbikes, six jetskis, state-of-the-art dive gear. “You pretty much needed an air traffic controller when all these things were in the water,” says Elliott.

Belfort’s partying was legendary and Elliott clearly saw eye-watering things on board, but as far as he was concerned, he was there to safeguard the boat. “When Jordan Belfort became the owner, he could do whatever he wanted. I was there to protect the note,” says Elliott. “He is a brilliant mind and a lovely person. It was just when he was in his party mode, he was out of control.”

Nadine and her huge cohort of toys and vehicles plied all the usual yachting haunts on both sides of the Atlantic. But Belfort’s love story was to be short-lived. Disaster struck with the boss and guests on board during an 85-mile crossing between Civitavecchia in Italy and Calle de Volpe on Sardinia.

What was forecast to be a 20-knot blow and moderate seas degenerated into a violent 70-knot storm with crests towering above 10.6m, according to Elliott. Wave after wave pounded the superstructure, stoving in hatches and windows so that water poured below and made the boat sluggish. By a miracle the engine room remained dry and they could maintain steerage way, motoring slowly through the black of the night as rescue attempt after rescue attempt was called off.

Nadine eventually sank at dawn in over 1000m of water just 20 miles from the coast of Sardinia. Everyone had been taken off by helicopter, and there was no loss of life. Captain Mark Elliott was roundly congratulated for his handling of the incident. “The insurance paid immediately because it was the storm of the century,” he says. “I took the whole crew but one with me to [Little’s next boat] Star Ship . That was my way to come back.”

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Why are orcas attacking boats and sometimes sinking them?

After four years and hundreds of incidents, researchers remain puzzled why orcas, also known as killer whales, continue to ram boats – sinking a few of them – along the Iberian Peninsula. The most-recent incident was the sinking of a yacht on Oct. 31 in the Strait of Gibraltar.

The origin of these interactions remain a "great mystery," said Alfredo López, a University of Santiago biologist, but he does not believe the behavior is aggressive. Orcas are large dolphins, López said. And like dolphins, the events could stem from the orcas’ curious and playful behavior, such as trying to race the boats.

López, who specializes in orcas, and his team, Grupo de trabajo Orca Atlántica (GOTA) , have tracked these encounters since 2020. The team’s recent study theorizes the orcas could also be exhibiting cautionary behavior because of some previous traumatic incident.

Where have killer whales interacted with boats?

GOTA has tracked more than 350 interactions just on the Iberian Peninsula since 2020. Most have taken place along the Strait of Gibraltar, but the orcas’ mischief or self-defense may be spreading north. An incident was reported in June in the  Shetland Islands in Scotland .

GOTA defines interactions as instances when orcas react to the presence of approaching boats, such as:

• Interaction without physical contact.
• Some physical contact without damage.
• Contact that causes serious damage that could prevent the navigation of the boat.

Recent incidents when orcas attacked boats and sank them

The Oct. 31 incident occurred in the Strait of Gibraltar where a pod of orcas sank a mid-size sailing yacht named the Grazie Mamma after a 45-minute interaction,  Live Science reported . 

On June 19 an orca rammed a 7-ton yacht multiple times off the Shetland Islands in Scotland, according to an account from retired Dutch physicist Dr. Wim Rutten in the Guardian.

"Killer whales are capable of traveling large distances, so it is not out of the ordinary that an animal could travel that far," said Tara Stevens, a marine scientist at CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. "To my knowledge, this data is not available, so we cannot confirm at this time if these are the same animals." 

Including the Oct. 31 incident, orcas have sunk four boats this year. The previous sinking occured in May , off the coasts of Portugal and Spain, but whale expert Anne Gordon told USA TODAY  in May that the incidents shouldn't heighten concerns about the whales.

"Yes, they're killer whales. And yes, their job is to be predators in the ocean, but in normal circumstances there is absolutely zero threat to humans in a boat," Gordon said .

Most of the interactions have involved sailboats, but fishing boats, semi-rigid boats and motorboats haven’t gone unscathed. 

Are these the same killer whales attacking boats or unrelated incidents?

López hypothesizes that the interactions could be a self-induced behavior where you're "inventing something new and repeat it. This behavior coincides with the profile of the juveniles." He said it could also be response to an aversive situation: "One or several individuals had lived a bad experience and tried to stop the boat so as not to repeat it. This behavior coincides with the profile of adults."

"Fifteen different orcas from at least three different communities" have been identified, López said. And they are probably teaching the habit to others, or the others are mimicking the behavior. "Without a doubt orcas learn by imitation," López said.  The majority of the culprits are juveniles that touch, push and sometimes turn the vessels. He noted that adult males don't appear to be involved.

"Killer whales are incredibly intelligent animals that do learn behaviors from observation of other individuals," Stevens said. "Typically, very unique behaviors such as this are learned 'within' group, meaning individuals of the group may learn from each other and participate, but that does not necessarily mean that the behavior is shared outside the group with other individuals."

Which pods of killer whales are battering the boats?

Orcas operate in a social structure called a pod. These pods generally are a group of several generations of related orcas. Hierarchies are established within them, and they communicate and learn from one another, the study reads.

GOTA researchers have identified the individuals responsible for the interactions . One large pod is made up of three generations. It starts with grandmother Gladis Lamari, her daughter, grandchildren and a few other relatives.

Another pod comprises siblings Gladis Negra and Gladis Peque. Both have been photographed interacting with boats. Their mother, Gladis Herbille, has generally just watched her children at a distance from the boats, the study said.

A third group in the study are siblings and a cousin.

Orcas often tracking bluefin tuna

The movements of orcas depend on the location of their main food source, bluefin tuna. The migratory movements of tuna are very dynamic and predicting exactly where interactions will take place is very difficult, the report said. According to NOAA , Atlantic bluefin tuna are the largest in the tuna family and can reach a length of 13 feet and up to 2,000 pounds. They are a highly migratory species and can migrate thousands of miles across an entire ocean.

About the Iberian orcas

While they are called killer whales, orcas are actually the largest member of the dolphin family. This aquatic marine mammal family includes whales, dolphins and porpoises.

The Iberian orca is a subpopulation of the Atlantic orca population. These orcas are from the Strait of Gibraltar and the Gulf of Cádiz. Iberian orcas are small: 16 to 21 feet compared with Atlantic orcas that measure almost 30 feet.

Orcas in general are fast, reaching speeds up to 27.6 mph. By comparison, a 39-foot sailboat travels at about 9.2 mph.

What should you do if your boat is attacked by killer whales

The study recommended these tips to reduce the duration and intensity of the interaction.

• Stop the boat.
• Leave the rudder loose.
• Radio for help.

According to the GOTA study, most of the vessels involved in interactions are medium-sized (less than 49 feet) sailboats, with a paddle rudder, sailing at an average of 6.9 mph, under both sail and motor.

The interactions have been mostly concentrated in the spring and summer months and have been concentrated in the midday hours. They've lasted on average for 40 minutes, but several last less than 30 minutes. 

Types of rudders Iberian orcas have approached

"It is very common for dolphins to interact with the boats and approach," López said. "Before 2020, the orcas did it with frequency but they weren't classified as attacks. Now, sometimes they touch the boat and the encounter is unfairly classified as an attack. They judge socially before understanding what (orcas) do."

Migrant boat sinks off Turkish Aegean coast, killing at least 22 people

Turkish officials say they have found the bodies of 22 people, including seven children, off Gokceada island.

At least 22 people, including several children, have died after the rubber dinghy they were travelling on capsized off the Turkish island of Gokceada in the Aegean Sea.

“The Turkish coastguard found the bodies of 22 people including seven children,” the local governor’s office said in a statement on Friday.

Keep reading

Four migrants killed after boat sinks off greek island of lesbos, asylum seeker dies on uk barge housing migrants and refugees, protests erupt in tunisian town as search continues for 37 missing migrants.

Information on the victims’ nationalities has not yet been released.

Governor Ilhami Aktas told the state-run Anadolu Agency that the Turkish coastguard rescued two people from the sea off the town of Eceabat in Canakkale province, while two others were able to reach the shore by themselves,

Turkish officials said the boat began sinking overnight and that many ambulances were standing by at the port of Kabatepe near Gokceada. The search-and-rescue operation was also backed by one plane, two helicopters, one drone, 18 boats and 502 personnel.

The Turkish coastguard also said that it had rescued or intercepted several hundred people, including children, attempting to cross to Greece since the start of the week.

At least 3,129 deaths and disappearances have been recorded in the Mediterranean since 2017, making it the deadliest route for migrants and refugees, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Many migrants try to reach the Greek islands from Turkey’s western coasts to head to prosperous European Union countries, with many dying in the perilous sea crossing.

The issue of irregular migration is a thorn in relations between NATO members Turkey and Greece, who are already embroiled in longstanding disputes from exploratory drilling rights in the eastern Mediterranean to the divided island of Cyprus.

Greece has also frequently accused Turkey of waving migrants through their joint border and at sea.

Ankara in turn has accused Athens of illegal pushbacks of migrant boats. In 2016, Turkey struck a deal with the EU to curb the influx of people seeking refuge in the EU in return for financial assistance and other incentives.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Athens in December, Turkey and Greece agreed to open a new page in their troubled relations and address their problems including irregular migration through dialogue.

The issue of irregular migration is likely to figure highly in talks when Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visits Ankara in May.

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A migrant boat sinks off the turkish coast, killing at least 22 people.

Associated Press

ANKARA – A rubber dinghy carrying migrants sank off Turkey’s northern Aegean coast on Friday, killing at least 22 people, officials said.

Turkish coast guard personnel rescued two migrants from the sea off the town of Eceabat in Canakkale province, while two others reached the shore by themselves and notified officials, Gov. Ilhami Aktas said.

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It was not clear how many people were on the boat when it sank and the coast guard was continuing to search the area, he said.

Aktas told the state-run Anadolu Agency that seven of the dead were infants or children.

The migrants’ nationalities were not immediately known.

They were trying to reach the Greek island of Samothraki, the private Demiroren News Agency reported.

Eighteen rescue boats, a plane, two helicopters and a drone were involved in the search and rescue mission, the statement said. Ambulances were on standby at a nearby port, Anadolu reported.

Although their numbers have declined in recent years, migrants mostly from the Middle East and Africa often leave Turkey to try to reach Greece or Italy in search of a better life in European countries.

The Turkish coast guard said it caught at least 93 migrants attempting to leave the Turkish coast on boats this week.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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At Least 34 Migrants Missing off Tunisia, Two Die After Boat Sinks

TUNIS (Reuters) - At least 34 migrants were missing and two died after their boat sank off Tunisia as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to Italy, the Tunisian national guard said on Friday.

The boat which sailed from Libya coast‮ ‬was carrying 70 people, and 34 people were rescued off the southern town of Zarzis.

This week, Tunisian coast guard also recovered five bodies of migrants.

War in Israel and Gaza

With improving weather in the last weeks, the flow of African migrants, including Tunisians, in boats heading for Italy has increased.

A record 1,313 migrants were reported to have died or went missing off the Tunisian coast last year, a rights group said on last month, highlighting the unending migrant crisis in the North African country.

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Migrant boat sinks off Turkey's coast, killing at least 21 people

A rubber dinghy carrying migrants sank off Turkey's northern Aegean coast on Friday, killing at least 21 people, officials said.

Turkish coast guard personnel rescued two migrants from the sea off the town of Eceabat in Canakkale province, while two others reached the shore by themselves and notified officials, Gov. Ilhami Aktas said.

It was not clear how many people were on the boat when it sank and the coast guard was continuing to search the area, he said.

A statement from Aktas' office later said five of the dead were children.

The migrants' nationalities were not immediately known.

Eighteen rescue boats, a plane, two helicopters and a drone were involved in the search and rescue mission, the statement said. Ambulances were on standby at a nearby port, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Although their numbers have declined in recent years, migrants mostly from the Middle East and Africa often leave Turkey to try to reach Greece in search of a better life in European countries. Some migrants leaving Turkey also attempt to sail to Italy.

The Turkish coast guard said it caught at least 93 migrants attempting to leave the Turkish coast on boats this week.

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22 Dead as Migrant Boat Sinks Off Coast of Turkey

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) – A rubber dinghy carrying migrants sank off Turkey’s northern Aegean coast on Friday, killing at least 22 people, officials said.

Turkish coast guard personnel rescued two migrants from the sea off the town of Eceabat in Canakkale province, while two others reached the shore by themselves and notified officials, Gov. Ilhami Aktas said.

It was not clear how many people were on the boat when it sank and the coast guard was continuing to search the area, he said.

Aktas told the state-run Anadolu Agency that seven of the dead were infants or children.

The migrants’ nationalities were not immediately known.

They were trying to reach the Greek island of Samothraki, the private Demiroren News Agency reported.

Salvini: Migrant Drownings Caused by 'Do-Gooders' Re-opening Ports, Encouraging Smugglers https://t.co/AlAjFl8x2X — Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) October 20, 2019

Eighteen rescue boats, a plane, two helicopters and a drone were involved in the search and rescue mission, the statement said. Ambulances were on standby at a nearby port, Anadolu reported.

Although their numbers have declined in recent years, migrants mostly from the Middle East and Africa often leave Turkey to try to reach Greece or Italy in search of a better life in European countries.

The Turkish coast guard said it caught at least 93 migrants attempting to leave the Turkish coast on boats this week.

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