The head of the Italian coastguard
said Friday his conscience was clear over the February 26
disaster at Cutro in Calabria in which at east 90 people
including 35 children were killed as a migrant boat broke up in
rough seas after the coastguard failed to go out and rescue it
due to the smugglers' successful efforts to evade detection.
"We have a clear conscience, we did what had to be done. When
there is a tragedy one feels close to those who have suffered
and Cutro was a great tragedy. We will certainly have to reflect
on it and we are sure that the judiciary will shed light on it,"
said the Commander General of the Coast Guard, Admiral Nicola
Carlone, to SkyTg 24, in relation to the shipwreck on the coast
near Crotone.
Carlone also called on the government no to wage war on NGOs
after new rules forcing them to carry out just one rescue at a
time and go to ports a long way from the rescue site.
NGO ships 'do rescue, they do their work at sea. There is no
war. Of these units, ten have left: only a couple have been
stopped, also to safeguard the ship itself," said Carlone.
The Banksy-funded Louise Michel is the latest of the
humanitarian ships for which detention has been ordered. "We,"
explained Admiral Carlone, "asked to go to the assigned Place of
Safety while our units were intervening: there were 45 events at
the same time".
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