On 13 August 2025, a vessel carrying nearly 100 migrants capsized in international waters off Italy’s Lampedusa, resulting in at least 26 fatalities and a significant number of people still missing. Sixty survivors were transported to a reception centre on the island.

Key Details:

• The vessel, reportedly overcrowded after a consolidation of passengers from two boats departing Libya, succumbed to overloading and capsized near Lampedusa.
• Roughly 92 to 97 migrants were on board based on survivor accounts, with all believed to have embarked originally from Libya.
• Among the passengers, there were survivors, victims, and missing individuals; 60 were rescued, 26 confirmed dead, and others remained unaccounted for.
• The Italian coast guard stressed that the death toll is provisional as search and rescue efforts continue.

This tragic incident is one of several that have made the central Mediterranean crossing between North Africa and Europe a perilous route. So far in 2025, at least 675 migrants have lost their lives attempting the crossing—excluding the fatalities from this latest incident.