2016 Egypt migrant shipwreck
2016 CE.
Shown on the map at 31.523°, 30.355°.
On September 21, 2016, a boat designed to carry a maximum of 40 people capsized and sank in the Mediterranean Sea approximately 8 km (5.0 mi) from shore near Rosetta, Egypt. The vessel was severely overcrowded and had an estimated 450 refugees aboard at the time of the incident. Survivors reported that migrants had been confined aboard the boat for 5 days as traffickers brought additional groups of migrants to the boat. Traffickers were attempting to load one final group of migrants when the boat capsized and subsequently sank. Of the approximately 450 people aboard at the time of the sinking, 204 people were confirmed deceased, and 84 remain missing and are presumed dead. Fewer than 40% of the people on board were rescued. Among the 162 survivors, the majority originated from Egypt, however there were also survivors from Syria, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia. Irregular migration across the Mediterranean Sea occurs through three principle pathways: Central, Western, or Eastern sea routes. Those involved in the September 21, 2016 incident sought passage via the Central Mediterranean route. This route departs Northern Africa and targets reaching either Italy or Malta.
Text from the Wikipedia article 2016 Egypt migrant shipwreck, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.