2013 Lampedusa migrant shipwreck

Fatal maritime incident near Italy March 2021 Mediterranean yes 300 Lampedusa left 8 35.30 12.36 Malta right 8 35.883333 14.5 3, 11 October 2013 Lampedusa, Italy dms it Vessels capsized Over 500 (over 360 estimated; 359 confirmed) On 3 October 2013, a boat carrying migrants from Libya to Italy sank off the Italian island of Lampedusa. It was reported that the boat had sailed from Misrata, Libya, but that many of the migrants were originally from Eritrea, Somalia and Ghana.Scores of Migrants Dead After Boat Sinks Off Sicily https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/04/world/europe/scores-die-in-shipwreck-off-sicily.html 3 October 2013 The New York Times 3 October 2013 Gaia Pianigiani Siracusahttps://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/10/04/witness-boat-migrants-used-bottles-to-stay-afloat/2922215/ Witness: Boat migrants used bottles to stay afloat 4 October 2013 USA Today 4 October 2013 An emergency response involving the Italian Coast Guard resulted in the rescue of 155 survivors. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24380247 Dozens of migrants die in Italy boat sinking near Lampedusa BBC News 3 October 2013 3 October 2013 On 12 October it was reported that the confirmed death toll after searching the boat was 359, but that further bodies were still missing;Mediterranean 'a cemetery' – Maltese PM Muscat https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24502279 12 October 2013 BBC News 12 October 2013 a figure of "more than 360" deaths was later reported.Lampedusa boat tragedy: Migrants 'raped and tortured' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24866338 8 November 2013 BBC News 8 November 2013 A second shipwreck occurred 120 km from Lampedusa on 11 October, within the Maltese search and rescue zone, but closer to Lampedusa.'Dozens feared dead' off Lampedusa as migrant boat capsizes https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24499890 BBC News 11 October 2013 11 October 2013 The boat was reportedly carrying migrants from Syria, and at least 34 individuals were later confirmed dead. 3 October incident thumb|180px|Cross made with wood of broken immigration boats in Lampedusa It was initially reported that over five hundred people were on board the 20 m ft mid -long fishing boat when it began to have engine trouble less than a quarter-mile from Lampedusa, causing the ship to begin sinking. In an attempt to contact nearby boats, a blanket on the ship was set on fire. This fire ignited some gasoline and began to engulf the boat before it sank. To avoid the flames, many people threw themselves into the water or moved away from the fire to the same part of the ship, which then capsized. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24392732 Italy sinking: Search resumes for missing migrants BBC News 4 October 2013 4 October 2013 At least 350 people were initially declared missing. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/03/lampedusa-migrants-killed-boat-sinks-italy The Guardian 3 October 2013 3 October 2013 Italy boat wreck: scores of migrants die as boat sinks off Lampedusa Lizzy Davies On 7 October, it was reported that 194 bodies had been recovered, and that the final death toll could rise to between 325 and 363 individuals. A total of 155 people had been rescued. A further 108 bodies were reported retrieved by 9 October, after access was gained to the inside of the boat's hull, resting some 47 m beneath the surface of the water.Lampedusa boat disaster: Death toll rises to 232 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24436779 8 October 2013 BBC News 7 October 2013Prosecutors Detain Alleged 'Skipper' in Lampedusa Shipwreck https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304171804579123423150529790 8 October 2013 The Wall Street Journal 8 October 2013 On 11 October, it was reported that all bodies had been recovered from the boat, and the confirmed death toll had reached 339. About 50 were believed to be still missing, and searches for further bodies in the area would continue using aircraft and robotic devices.Second migrant ship capsizes near Sicily where shipwreck left 339 dead last week https://nationalpost.com/news/second-migrant-ship-capsizes-near-sicily-where-shipwreck-left-339-dead-last-week National Post 11 October 2013 A further 20 bodies had been found by 12 October, bringing the total to 359. The total number of dead was later reported as "more than 360". On 8 November, it was reported that the migrants had each paid at least $3,000 (£1,866) to the Libyan, Somali and Sudanese trafficking group before making the sea crossing from Libya.Italy shipwreck migrants raped, tortured http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/131108/italy-shipwreck-migrants-raped-tortured 9 November 2013 Agence France-Presse 8 November 2013 Women who were unable to pay were said to have been raped, and men who rebelled were tied up and tortured. The alleged captain of the boat, a 35-year-old Tunisian named as Khaled Bensalam, who was reported to have been deported from Italy in April 2013, was arrested under suspicion of being responsible for the sinking.Italian migrant death toll reaches at least 194 http://www.wdrb.com/story/23619837/italian-migrant-death-toll-reaches-at-least-194 6 October 2013 WDRB.com 6 October 2013 Luca Bruno dead https://web.archive.org/web/20131014170757/http://www.wdrb.com/story/23619837/italian-migrant-death-toll-reaches-at-least-194 14 October 2013 It was reported that he could be charged with manslaughter.Lampedusa wreck: EU seeks Mediterranean migrant sea patrols https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24440908 WDRB.com 8 October 2013 9 October 2013 On 8 November, a 34-year-old Somali national, Mouhamud Elmi Muhidin, and a Palestinian man, Attour Abdalmenem, were also arrested under suspicion of having been among the traffickers that organized the voyage. Police indicated that Muhidin was facing a series of charges, including people trafficking, kidnapping, sexual assault, and criminal association with the aim of abetting illicit immigration. The two men were detained by the Italian police after a number of the shipwreck survivors spotted and began attacking them.Police in Italy arrest Somalia national accused of organizing deadly migrant voyage http://www.dw.de/police-in-italy-arrest-somalia-national-accused-of-organizing-deadly-migrant-voyage/a-17215308 9 November 2013 Deutsche Welle 9 November 2013 Reaction Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church tweeted "pray [to] God for the victims of the shipwreck off Lampedusa," while Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta tweeted that it was "an immense tragedy". António Guterres, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, commended the Italian Coast Guard for their quick reaction to the disaster. The Italian Government launched Operation Mare Nostrum in order to avoid new tragedies. Italian Deputy Prime Minister Angelino Alfano stated that the incident highlighted the need for European assistance to handle the continuing influx of refugees, declaring the shipwreck "a European tragedy, not just an Italian one[...] The toll is unfortunately a tragic one". https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/10353429/Italy-calls-for-European-help-on-refugees-as-scores-drown-in-Lampedusa-shipwreck.html The Daily Telegraph Italy calls for European help on refugees as scores drown in Lampedusa shipwreck 3 October 2013 3 October 2013 A national day of mourning was also announced in Italy. In response to the deaths, Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, called for the European Union to increase their Mediterranean-wide search and rescue patrols to intercept migrant boats, through the Frontex border agency. She said: "Let's make sure that what happened in Lampedusa will be a wakeup call to increase solidarity and mutual support and to prevent similar tragedies in the future."https://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-864_en.htm Commissioner Malmström's intervention on Lampedusa during the Home Affairs Council press conference European Commission 8 October 2013 2025-08-10 José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, and Italian Prime Minister Letta visited Lampedusa on 9 October. Letta announced that a state funeral would be held for the migrants who died, and Barroso said that 30 million euros would be used to help refugees in Italy.Italy to hold state funeral for shipwreck migrants https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24456058 9 October 2013 9 October 2013 BBC News Shipwreck of 11 October 11 October shipwreck 11 October 2013 Off MaltaMediterranean Vessel capsized 200 Vessel sank, 147 rescued 34 confirmed A second shipwreck occurred on 11 October, 120 km from Lampedusa within the territorial waters of Malta. Reports the following day stated that 34 were confirmed dead; initial unconfirmed reports of at least 50 bodies appeared to be exaggerated. The boat was carrying over 200 migrants, reportedly from Syria and Palestine, and capsized when people on board moved to one side of the vessel as they tried to get the attention of a passing aircraft. The rescue operation was coordinated by the Maltese authorities, with the assistance of some of the Italian vessels involved after 3 October shipwreck at Lampedusa. Some 147 survivors were taken to Malta, and a further 56 were taken to Italy. According to some of the Syrian migrants, the boat was fired upon by Libyan militiamen during a trafficking gang dispute.http://dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Oct-13/234499-shipwreck-survivors-claim-traffickers-fired-on-their-boat.ashx Malta shipwreck survivors: 'militiamen' fired at boat The Daily Star 13 October 2013 14 October 2013 14 October 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131014013435/http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Oct-13/234499-shipwreck-survivors-claim-traffickers-fired-on-their-boat.ashx dead After the second shipwreck, the Prime Minister of Malta, Joseph Muscat, complained of a lack of action from other European countries on the problem of migration across the sea, and said: "As things stand we are building a cemetery within our Mediterranean Sea." United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the international community as a whole "to take action to prevent such tragedies in the future, including measures that address their root causes and that places the vulnerability and human rights of migrants at the centre of the response."https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=46255&Cr=lampedusa&Cr1= (Ban Ki-moon): After latest Lampedusa tragedy, Ban calls for action to protect human rights of migrants United Nations News Centre 12 October 2013 13 October 2013 On 8 November, Italian police arrested a 47-year-old Palestinian man, Attour Abdalmenem, for having allegedly been among the traffickers that organized the voyage. Two Italian officers were accused of multiple manslaughter by delaying the rescue of the boat. Their trial commenced in July 2019, and though found guilty, they were not convicted as the trial was brought beyond the limitations period by the COVID-19 pandemic.https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/5/syrian-family-longs-for-justice-ten-years-after-shipwreck Syrians long for justice 10 years after shipwreck off Italy’s Lampedusa Al Jazeera 5 October 2023 2025-08-10 See also Italy Lampedusa immigrant reception center Ghost boat investigation 2009 Libya migrant shipwreck 2011 Lampedusa migrant shipwreck 2014 Libya migrant shipwreck 2023 Pylos migrant boat disaster References 33em Category:October 2013 in Italy Category:Maritime incidents in 2013 Category:Maritime incidents in Italy Category:Illegal immigration to Italy Category:Maritime incidents related to the European migrant crisis Category:Migrant boat disasters in the Mediterranean Sea Category:Transport disasters involving refugees of the Arab Winter Category:Lampedusa