The Frontex plane that first sighted
the boat carrying up to 200 refugees and migrants that on Sunday
ran aground off the Calabria coast, leaving at least 67 people
dead and an unknown number missing, did not report a situation
of danger or distress, Italy's Minister of Interior Matteo
Piantedosi told a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday.
"The Frontex aerial asset that first spotted the vessel after 10
p.m. on 25 February 40 nautical miles from Italy did not report
a situation of danger or distress on board, describing the
presence of one person above deck and others below deck and
reporting that the vessel was well afloat," Piantedosi told the
House Committee on Constitutional Affairs.
"Then the weather conditions deteriorated," he added.
Roughly 80 people survived the shipwreck.
Investigations are underway.
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