At least 94 dead after boat capsizes off the Italian coast

For the second time, a boat filled with dozens of people has capsized off the Italian coast. On Thursday, the vessel, carrying at least 500 passengers, caught fire and sank not far from the island of Lampedusa. At least 94 people died, including a pregnant woman, but the coast guard was able to save about 151 people.

The coast guard reported that the ship probably launched from Libya. Those on board included Eritreans, Somalis and Ghanaians. Lampedusa has become a common place for refugees from Africa to enter Europe. Antonio Guterres, head of the U.N. refugee agency, said he is “dismayed at the rising global phenomenon of migrants and people fleeing conflict or persecution and perishing at sea.”

Summer and early fall are popular times for migrants to try to make the journey, because the waters are calmer. Just last week, the Italian coast guard had to retrieve a ship bound for Lampedusa, which had 398 Syrian refugees on board. The coast guard also pointed out that the detention center where migrants are held temporarily has about 1,250 people in it, when the space can really only hold about 250. In 2012, it is estimated that about 15,000 migrants made it to Italy, and about 500 died or were lost at sea.