At least 59 people, including children and women, dead after a wooden boat carrying migrants collapsed on the rocks of Calabria on Sunday, Italian authorities say.
The death toll is expected to rise as many of the rescued migrants are taken to local hospitals.
The vessel left the Turkish city of Izmir 3-4 days back with 140 to 150 people on board, Reuters reported.
Around 80 people were rescued from the disaster. The survivors were from Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
Italian PM Giorgia Meloni said that it is "criminal" to have nearly 200 migrants on a vessel that is just 20 meters long in adverse weather.
[this is an ongoing report]
by Vanessa Brooks