Refugees’ calls for help were avoided – file photo (Picture: Getty)

Desperate distress calls from a sinking ship of refugees were ignored by the Italian Coastguard until the boat capsized.

At least 34 Syrian migrants died when their ship from Libya sank about 60 miles from the Italian island of Lampedusa and 118 miles from Malta on October 11 2013.

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Previously unheard cries for help from a Syrian doctor on board, obtained by Italian newspaper L’Espresso, appear to show the coastguard failing to intervene.

During the distress call, Mohamed Jammo can be heard saying: ‘Please hurry. The boat is going down.’


But despite an Italian navy boat sitting between 10 and 19 miles away, Mr Jammo was told to contact authorities in Malta instead.







Il naufragio dei bambini Cosa Ã¨ successo nel Mediterraneo l’11 ottobre 2013, quando persero la vita 268 migranti? (Il video integrale sul sito dell’Espresso ð http://bit.ly/2qT8OJO ) Geplaatst door L’Espresso op Zondag 7 mei 2017

In a second call after Mr Jammo contacted Malta and was told about their proximity to Lampedusa, he says: ‘We are dying. Please.’

Later, calls between authorities in Malta and Italy reveal an apparent disagreement over who is responsible for rescuing the migrant ship, which was reportedly damaged by gunfire from a Libyan boat.

However, Maltese forces tell their Italian counterparts that the ship is closer to their territory than Malta.

L’Espresso reported the Italian boat ended up waiting for five hours while the migrants desperately appealed for help.

A joint rescue operation between the two countries was finally launched when the boat capsized.

Though it was reported that 203 people were saved, at least 34 are thought to have drowned.