At least 59 people die in a migrant boat crash off the coast of Italy

Children are among the nearly 60 migrants, mostly from Afghanistan, who died when their sailing boat crashed off the southern coast of Italy.

Πράκτορες του Λιμενικού Σώματος, με εθελοντές από τον Ερυθρό Σταυρό και τους Καραμπινιέρους προσπαθούν να ανασύρουν τη σορό ενός μετανάστη κλεισμένου σε λευκή σακούλα, ο οποίος έχασε τη ζωή του στο ναυάγιο Credit: Getty / Antonino D'Urso

KEY POINTS

• Nearly 60 migrants have drowned after their wooden boat crashed into rocks
• One survivor was arrested on migrant trafficking charges
• The vessel carried migrants from Afghanistan, Iran and other countries

Fifty-eight people died, including some children, when a wooden sailing boat carrying migrants crashed against rocks on the southern Italian coast, authorities said.

The vessel had set sail from Turkey several days ago with migrants from Afghanistan, Iran and several other countries, and crashed early on Sunday in stormy weather near Steccato di Cutro, a seaside resort on the eastern coast of Calabria.