Mediterranean capsized migrants’ boat’s captain charged

The Tunisian captain of a boat that capsized off Libya on Sunday, killing hundreds of migrants, has been charged with reckless multiple homicide, Italian officials say.

He has also been charged along with a member of the crew with favouring illegal immigration.

The two were among 27 survivors who arrived in Sicily late on Monday.
The charges come after the EU set out a package of measures to try to ease the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean.

Search-and-rescue operations will be stepped up, and there will be a campaign to destroy traffickers' boats.

A homicide investigation has been opened into the disaster.
Separately, two of those rescued from a vessel carrying dozens of migrants that run aground off the Greek island of Rhodes on Monday will be taken to the prosecutors' office, the BBC has learnt.

It is thought the two men, both Syrians, were in charge of the boat; they will face charges linked to illegally transporting 90 people to Greece, and responsibility for the deaths of three passengers.

After speaking to the survivors of the boat that sank off the coast of Libya, the UN refugee agency said that about 800 people had died in Sunday's disaster. Earlier accounts had put the death toll at about 700.

"There were a little over 800 people on board, including children aged between 10 and 12," said Carlotta Sami, of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Italy.

"There were Syrians, about 150 Eritreans, Somalians… They had left Tripoli at about 8am on Saturday."

At the scene: James Reynolds, Rome correspondent
The survivors stood still on the rescue boat. They looked exhausted. One shook hands with the mayor of Catania and put his hand to his chest in a gesture of thanks.
Francesco Rocca runs the Italian Red Cross: "They are under shock, completely shocked. They repeat their phrases about the fact that they are the only survivors on the tragedy.

"Some of them want to speak, some of them want to stay silent. You can imagine they are under a lot of pressure. It's the first time I see such a high level of shock. It's clear from their eyes."

Two survivors told rescue workers that they had managed to stay afloat by clinging to the bodies of their fellow passengers. Others said that the children on board drowned because they were trapped on the boat's lower two levels.

Ms Salvi said hundreds of passengers had been locked below deck and hundreds more were crammed on to its upper deck.
It is believed the boat capsized when an attempted rescue by a Portuguese merchant ship caused panic. Only 28 people were rescued.

'Sense of solidarity'

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the 10-point package set out at talks in Luxembourg was a "strong reaction from the EU to the tragedies" and "shows a new sense of urgency and political will".

"We are developing a truly European sense of solidarity in fighting human trafficking — finally so."