Overview
- A lone survivor rescued by the merchant vessel Star and hospitalized in Malta said his boat from Tunisia capsized after about 24 hours at sea, with roughly 50 people dying.
- The Italian Coast Guard’s Inmarsat notice aggregates eight missing boats that left Sfax on January 14, 18, 20 and 21, accounting for about 380 people.
- Lampedusa’s harbor authority searched the area indicated by the survivor but reported no wreckage or bodies found.
- The NGO Alarm Phone says it has lost contact with about 150 people who departed Tunisia on three separate boats in recent days.
- Severe conditions linked to Cyclone Harry were reported on the route, with waves over seven meters and gusts exceeding 54 knots hampering crossings and searches.