Italian coast guard searches for missing migrants after shipwreck: 12 rescued, 1 dead

ROME (AP) — The Italian coast guard was searching for possible missing people off the southern coast of Italy on Monday after a sailboat carrying migrants, believed to have set off from Turkey, was shipwrecked. It was not immediately clear how many migrants were missing.

The search and rescue operation began following a mayday call from a French boat sailing about 120 miles (193.12 kilometers) from the Italian coast on the border of the SAR areas under the jurisdiction of Greece and Italy, the coast guard said in a statement.

After rescue workers reported the half-sunken boat, they were able to rescue twelve migrants from the ship. The survivors were taken to the Calabrian port of Roccella Jonica, where they disembarked and were placed in the care of medical personnel.

One of the migrants died shortly afterwards, the coast guard said.

The Italian Coast Guard’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (IMRCC) in Rome immediately diverted two nearby merchant ships to the rescue site. Forces from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex also assisted.