At least 43 people, including an infant and several women, died early Sunday morning when an overloaded migrant boat broke apart on the rocks off the coast of Calabria, Italy. The first three bodies were discovered on the beach near Staccato di Cutro (Cutro) at 4:40 AM. Reports say around 80 people, from Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, were saved from the water after clinging to pieces of the boat.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was quick to express her sorrow for the tragedy and to blame the deaths on human traffickers. She stated “It is criminal to launch a boat just 20 meters long with 200 people on board in adverse weather. It is inhumane to exchange the lives of men, women, and children for the price of a ticket under the false perspective of a safe journey.”

The UN reported that 11,874