The vessel reportedly broke apart while trying to land with about 150 people aboard near the coastal town of Crotone in the Calabria region. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni - elected last year partly on a pledge to stem the flow of migrants into Italy - expressed "deep sorrow" for the incident, blaming the deaths on traffickers. She also called for an end to the "myopic vision" that says that countries that are physically closer to Africa and the Middle East should take the lead on tackling the issue