Mediterranean tragedy: 11‑year-old survives as 44 feared dead

The boat they were on sank off the coast of Lampedusa, and this information was reported by the humanitarian organization Compass Collective, citing the account of the sole survivor, the 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 organization participates in rescue missions in the Mediterranean Sea.

While on another rescue mission, members of Compass Collective heard cries from the water and rescued a girl wearing a life jacket who 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 center, where she is being cared for by Red Cross workers and volunteers. The girl is from Sierra Leone, and her boat sank during a storm. The boat departed from Sfax, Tunisia.

The tragic events in the Mediterranean Sea serve as a warning about the risks involved in attempting to reach Europe through this region. Migration across the Mediterranean, especially between Tunisia and Italy, is one of the most difficult and dangerous routes, with tragedies occurring daily.

Despite the efforts of Italian services, such tragedies are frequent. Rescue operations are constantly occurring in these turbulent waters, where immigrants try crossing in small boats. It is estimated that the Italian armed forces patrol an area of approximately 17,000 square miles. Recently, a boat with migrants sank, claiming approximately 300 lives; only a few managed to survive, with most of them being from Eritrea and Somalia.