Six migrants died, and 40 are missing after a boat sank off Lampedusa. Ten survivors were rescued, while migrant arrivals in Italy continue to rise.

Six people have died, and 40 others are missing after a migrant boat capsized in the Mediterranean, the United Nations reported on Wednesday. According to Italian media, the tragedy occurred off the coast of Lampedusa, a small island that has become a key entry point for migrants attempting to reach Europe.

Chiara Cardoletti, the Italy representative for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), confirmed the incident in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), expressing sorrow over yet another fatal shipwreck in the region. She revealed that the inflatable dinghy had departed from Tunisia on Monday with 56 people on board.

"After a few hours of sailing, the dinghy began to deflate and take on water. Six bodies (were) recovered. 40 missing," Cardoletti stated.

Italian authorities, including the coastguard and financial police, managed to rescue ten survivors—six men and four women—who were found near Lampione, a tiny, uninhabited rocky islet west of Lampedusa. Reports from Italian media indicate that the survivors confirmed the boat originally carried 56 people. However, only six bodies, all male, have been recovered so far.

According to AGI news agency, survivors recounted that some of the missing passengers were swept away by the rough seas as the dinghy began to sink. The passengers were reportedly from several West African countries, including the Ivory Coast, Mali, Gambia, and Cameroon.

Meanwhile, in a separate development, another group of 40 migrants successfully reached Lampedusa after making the journey from Sfax, Tunisia, in metal boats. The ANSA news agency reported that Tuesday alone saw five landings in Lampedusa, with a total of 213 migrants arriving on the island. As a result, the number of migrants housed in the island’s reception center has risen to 230.

According to Italy’s Interior Ministry, approximately 8,743 migrants have arrived in Italy so far this year, a slight increase compared to the same period in the previous year.

The Mediterranean continues to be one of the deadliest migration routes in the world, with thousands of migrants risking their lives each year in search of safety and better opportunities in Europe.