More than 200 people are still missing after the boat on
which they were trying to escape Eritrea and Somalia sank off the Italian
island of Lampedusa. So far 155 people have been rescued and 111 bodies have
been found.
The 66 foot boat began taking on water as it neared the
island, then it is said that some of the passengers started a fire to try to
attract attention. As the flames spread, everyone moved to one side of the
vessel, causing it to capsize.
On Lampedusa, a hangar has had to be turned into a makeshift
mortuary, and Italy has declared a day of national mourning. The boat’s skipper
has been arrested.
Since 1988, nearly 20,000 people have died trying to get
into Europe, more than 2,350 of them in 2011 alone. (See also my blogs of April
2, 2009 and December 16, 2010.)
*Piece from a Spanish website about my Historia Mundial de los desastres. http://www.cookingideas.es/el-pais-que-surgio-de-una-tormenta-20130809.html
No comments:
Post a Comment