Four days after a devastating boat accident in southern Italy, President Sergio Mattarella visited the town of Crotone, where dozens of bodies of the deceased migrants were laid out in a sports hall.
Mattarella prayed for a few minutes in front of the wooden coffins on Thursday, as seen in photos. He was greeted with applause by relatives, locals and onlookers in the town in the southern Italian region of Calabria.
Some called for "justice."
There is fierce debate in Italy about whether mistakes were made by the authorities in the search and rescue efforts on Sunday night.
At least 67 people died when their boat broke up and sank just off the coast early Sunday morning. Among the dead were more than a dozen children. More bodies are still being searched for.
About 80 people were rescued. Some of them are in a hospital in Crotone. Mattarella also visited them and brought toys for the children, ANSA news agency reported. During his visit, he also thanked the rescue workers and medical staff.
