Lampedusa tragedy raises ire of consumers’ union

Italian search and rescue authorities have lost all hope of finding any survivors involved in the drowning of a seven-metre vessel carrying tens of illegal immigrants as bad weather hampered the operations while the Italian media hammered away at the conduct of one of the SAR vessels.

The Italian consumers union yesterday protested at the reported reluctance of the Italian SAR vessel Cassiopea to tow the wooden vessel because it was already being towed by a Sicilian fishing boat, the Alide.

Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of Malta yesterday announced that its aircraft were on standby to assist in the search and rescue operation if requested by the Italians.

The illegal immigrants were found drifting in the straight, between Malta and Lampedusa by the Alide on the night between Thursday and Friday. The Alide then towed the illegal immigrants toward Lampedusa on instructions from Italian port control authorities, however the rough seas caused the clandestines’ boat to capsize.

From the suspected 45 illegal immigrants, who were crowded desperately on the boat only 11 were rescued by the Alide. Only 12 bodies, including five women, were discovered in the rescue operation that ensued and hope is fading that more illegal immigrants will be found alive.

Survivors who spoke to Italian police said that they departed from Turkey, a thesis, which Italian police are not too keen to accept. The illegal immigrants that landed in Gozo earlier in the week also identified Turkey as their port of departure, which however was discounted by the Maltese police. Investigations carried out on the boat that made it to Gozo gave clear indications that the immigrants had departed from Libya.