Alarmphone shocked by shipwreck that claimed 20 lives off Lampedusa

Alarmphone, an organization that provides independent support for people crossing the Mediterranean Sea to the EU  has expressed shocked by shipwreck that claimed 20 lives off Lampedusa on Thursday, September 5, 2024.

It said: “According to our research, it is likely the same boat as the one with 27 people on board, mainly Syrian refugees, that we alerted authorities about @ 16:40 CEST, Sept 2.

“Relatives via @room_rescu4952  alerted us to the boat, but we never directly talked to the people in distress. We sent all info regarding the boat, its last known position & the Thuraya phone to authorities. @seawatch_intl also spotted the boat, and issued two alerts the same day.”

Alarmphone added: “After we alerted MRCC Rome via call & email, we never managed to get any new updates or info on the situation. We stand by relatives’ & friends’ side, and share their pain for all these lives lost. Border violence prevented people from exercising their fundamental right to leave.

“Once more, non-assistance killed. People were ignored only few miles off the Italian coast where a SAR operation could have easily reached them in time. While nothing can undo the tragedy that occurred, we demand to hold the responsible authorities accountable for their crimes.”