Sharjah 24 – AFP: More than 40 migrants, including a baby just a few months old, died after their overloaded boat sank early on Sunday in stormy seas off Italy's southern Calabria region, rescue services said.
"At the current time, 80 people have been recovered alive, including some who managed to reach the shore after the sinking," the coastguard said in a statement.
"Forty-three bodies have been found along the coastline," it added.
Rescue workers told AFP that the vessel was carrying "more than 200 people", around 50 of whom had been brought to safety.
"Dozens and dozens of people drowned, including children. Lots missing. Calabria is in mourning after this terrible tragedy," regional governor Roberto Occhiuto said.
The overloaded boat broke up in violent waves off the coastal city of Crotone at dawn, according to Italian media.
AGI news agency quoted a rescue worker as saying an infant of just a few months old was among the victims.
Far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the leader of the post-Fascist Brothers of Italy party, won power in October, partly on a promise to stem the flow of migrants reaching Italian shores.
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