Investigations into deadly Mediterranean shipwreck underway

(Vatican Radio) A homicide investigation has been opened by Italian authorities into the deaths of as many as 900 of migrants killed over the weekend when their boat sank off the Libyan coast.

Listen to Ann Schneible’s report:

Prosecutors are starting to build the case against the traffickers responsible for the shipwreck which claimed the lives of hundreds of migrants on Sunday.

The Tunisian captain of the boat carrying the migrants has been charged with reckless multiple homicide.

The captain and a Syrian crew member are also accused of favoring illegal immigration.

The pair are among a group of 27 survivors of the wreck who were brought to Italy late Monday on a coast guard vessel.

Meanwhile, the European Union has proposed doubling the size of its Mediterranean search and rescue operations after Sunday’s tragedy.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon spoke to the EU on Monday on the need to address the plight of migrants, saying the latest disaster “should shock the global conscience.”

The mass deaths over the weekend have caused shock in Europe, where a decision to scale back naval operations last year seems to have increased the risks for migrants without reducing their numbers.

The latest incident is the deadliest known shipwreck of migrants trying to reach Europe.