Lone survivor emerges as 44 migrants vanish in Mediterranean tragedy

A tragic incident occurred in the Mediterranean, leading to the disappearance of 44 migrants. The boat they were on sank off the coast of Lampedusa. This was reported by the humanitarian organisation Compass Collective, citing the account of the sole survivor, an 11-year-old girl.

"We suspect that she is the only survivor after the boat sank, and the other 44 passengers drowned," Compass Collective stated in a release. This organisation takes part in rescue missions in the Mediterranean Sea.

Members of Compass Collective, while on another rescue mission, heard cries from the water and rescued the girl wearing a life jacket. She had been in the sea for three days.

After being rescued, the 11-year-old girl was taken to Lampedusa, where she received medical assistance. She is currently staying at a migrant centre where she is being cared for by Red Cross workers and volunteers. The girl is from Sierra Leone and the boat she was on departed from Sfax, Tunisia. It sank during a storm.

The tragic events in the Mediterranean Sea warn about the dangers of attempting to reach Europe via this route. Migration across the Mediterranean, particularly between Tunisia and Italy, is one of the most challenging and difficult routes, where tragedies occur daily.

Despite the efforts of Italian services, such tragedies occur frequently. Rescue operations are constantly taking place in turbulent waters, where migrants try to cross in small boats. It is estimated that the Italian armed forces patrol an area of approximately 44,000 square kilometres. Recently, a boat carrying migrants sank, resulting in approximately 300 fatalities, with only a few managing to survive, most of them being from Eritrea and Somalia.