It is the largest massacre of migrants ever to take place in the Mediterranean. A boat carrying over 900 desperate people who departed from Egypt capsized yesterday 60 miles off the Libyan coast and caused the death of over 700 passengers: only 28 were saved and 24 bodies have been recovered so far.
The tragedy occurred because the boat, already unsafe and in bad shape due to the enormous load of migrants embarked by unscrupulous traffickers, lost its balance due to the rush to rescue most of the migrants who had seen a ship approaching to help.
The reaction of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi was very harsh who, informed of the incident, immediately interrupted the electoral campaign and rushed to Palazzo Chigi where he immediately met the Council of Ministers. "This is slavery that must end" said the prime minister who will ask the European Union for an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers to deal with the tragedy of migrants by removing them from the hands of unscrupulous traffickers, of whom 950 have been arrested so far in Italy.
A strong appeal to Europe to do its part was also made by the Head of State, Sergio Mattarella, and by Pope Francis.
The opposition, on the other hand, took the opportunity to attack the government by invoking the naval blockade in the Mediterranean with Salvini della Lega. Meloni, Brunetta and Grillo followed. The leader of Forza Italia, Silvio Berlusconi, instead said that in this moment we need unity, not controversy. "I find it unspeakable - Renzi commented to the League - that speculation on the dead".
