A boat loaded with migrants off the coast of Crotone is on fire. Three dead, two financiers injured. A witness: “I heard two loud explosions”

A ship on board. 23 migrants caught fire during transshipment to ships of the port authorities off the coast of Crotone. Immediately afterwards, as reported by the financial police, “the engine caught fire” and there were explosion it cost him his life three people, including a woman, whose bodies were recovered by rescuers. In the explosion, which occurred around noon, they were injured two financiers who were helping the ship: one would have a broken leg and the other would be burned. Subsequently, the Harbor Master and the Treasury Police intervened to recover the people who ended up at sea and also a plane from the coastguard participated in rescue operations. Checks in progress to determine if there are other missing. “Has been two explosions, a first big smoke and then an even bigger one. Everything happened far from the shore so there was no panic on the beach ”, says a witness to theAdnkronos. “Everything happened far from shore, we saw the smoke intensify and then we heard a second explosion with an even louder roar. I had the impression that there was a glow, like a flare, then the column of smoke continued ”, adds another bather. “At first I thought it was a very big ship.”

The episode took place in front of Praialonga, between Isola Capo Rizzuto and Cutro. HE injured migrants there are four. After landing in the tourist port of Le Castella, a well-known tourist center on the Ionian coast of Calabria, were classified in the hospitals in the area. Two were rushed to Catanzaro because they have burns over most of their bodies, while the other two are hospitalized in Crotone along with the two yellow flame soldiers. The remaining 12 refugees were transferred to the reception center near. The colonel Emilio fiora, the provincial commander of the financial police of Crotone, maintains that all the migrants who were on board the ship “should have been recovered”, in any case “the searches continue”. Rebuilt from the yellow flames, this morning “was there rough sea, strong sirocco wind and the boat seemed to be unmanaged ”. 13 refugees swam to shore, while the rest remained on board. That is why, explains Fiora, the two financiers came together to rules the environment and take it to the nearest port. Then the engine caught fire and exploded“The people who were on board, he concludes,” have been thrown out in the water, even the two financiers. “

Meanwhile, during the night another landing was made in the town of Ruggero, a Sellia Marina. In total they are 36 the people who arrived on the Calabrian coast, 13 arrived in a rubber boat and 23 aboard a sailboat, the firefighters of the Catanzaro Command were at the scene. All migrants were subjected to buffer in application of the provisions to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Similar situation in Locride, where another group of refugees landed on the beach of Stignano Mare after crossing the sea in a sailboat similar to the one set on fire in Crotone. Instead, 80 migrants were detained by the Greek coast guard off the island of Zante that he wanted to get to Italy on board a ship. According to the Greek public broadcaster They are, the migrants were taken back to a port located near the city of Olympia. Of Iraqi, Syrian, Afghan, and Turkish nationalities, they had come to western Greece from several refugee camps. The authorities are now looking for the smugglers who got them the boat to go to Italy.