ROME – Chaos ensues on Island of Lampedusa as thousands of North African migrants wait to be boarded onto ships, police reported Thursday. Groups of migrants are standing in lines, along with the Italian Red Cross, as they wait to be boarded on to the Galaxy Ferry Line and make the journey to Porto Empedocle in Sicily. An unprecedented amount of migrants have landed on the tiny island in recent days as they wait to embark towards the mainland.

 The Italian Red Cross and police are at work to placate the hot and hungry situation. Most of the migrants are seen with towels or scarves around their heads, shielding them from the strong sun that is heating up Lampedusa. As for food, the President of the Red Cross, Rosario Valastro, reported that more than 130 operators are “doing beyond the impossible to ensure basic necessities” for the migrants. The organisation produced 5,000 meals for lunch and another 5,000 for dinner on Thursday for the more than 3,800 waiting people. Valastro commented, “We are tired – but working. The people come before us.”

 In addition to the Red Cross’ help, police stationed on Lampedusa are working to control the crowds. Some try to move forward in line by climbing over walls or pushing others that are in front of them. This results in resistance from the people at the front, pushing and yelling back. The police have managed thus far to restore peace. A total of 2,500 people are expected to leave Lampedusa en route to Sicily on Friday.

 However, more transportation issues await the North African immigrants at Porto Empedocle. Police reported at 2:30 a.m. on Friday that a bus transporting a group of 50 migrants from the port to a reception center in Piedmont was involved in a fatal crash. On the A1 motorway near Fiano Romano in Rome, the bus of migrants collided with a heavy vehicle, and completely overturned the bus. The two drivers, 35-year-old Alberto Vella and 32-year-old Daniel Del Giudice, lost their lives in the accident. Twenty-five of the migrants were injured, some in critical condition. Two of the injured migrants were transported to the Umberto I hospital in Rome. They were classified as code red patients, in the most critical condition.

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