Dozens killed as boat carrying migrants, refugees sinks off Italy

At least 58 people, including children, have died after a boat carrying migrants and refugees sank off the Italian coastal city of Crotone in the southern region of Calabria.

The vessel had set sail from Turkey several days ago with migrants from Afghanistan, Iran and several other countries, and crashed on Sunday (Feb 26) in stormy weather near Steccato di Cutro, a seaside resort on the eastern coast of Calabria.

The provisional death toll stood at 58, Manuela Curra, a provincial government official, told reporters. Eighty-one people survived, with 20 hospitalised including one person in intensive care, she said.

One survivor was arrested on migrant trafficking charges, the Guardia di Finanza customs police said.

Cutro's mayor, Antonio Ceraso, said women and children were among the dead. The exact number of child fatalities was not yet available.

His voice cracking up, Ceraso told the SkyTG24 news channel that he had seen "a spectacle that you would never want to see in your life … a gruesome sight … that stays with you for all your life".