At least 15 bodies have been discovered in recent days along Italy’s southern coastline, with authorities believing the victims were migrants attempting to reach Europe via the perilous central Mediterranean route.
The remains were found on beaches in Sicily and the Calabria region. Officials indicated that the deaths are likely linked to the severe weather conditions that have affected the area in recent weeks.
The central Mediterranean migration corridor, described by the United Nations as the most dangerous in the world, remains treacherous even in calm weather. Migrants departing from countries such as Libya and Tunisia are often placed by traffickers onto vessels that are unseaworthy and ill-equipped for the crossing.
Aid organisations warn that hundreds of people may have died at sea during the winter months. Additional bodies have been recovered offshore in recent days, some by fishing boats.
According to authorities, a body was discovered yesterday by students on a beach near Tropea in Calabria. The victim was wearing a fluorescent orange life vest. A woman was also found dead without identification documents. The local prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation.
Other bodies were located on the small Italian island of Pantelleria.
In 2025, more than 2,200 people attempting to reach Europe by sea lost their lives, according to the International Organization for Migration, part of the UN system.
Source: AMNA