The Karaburun tragedy of 2004, also known as the 9 January tragedy, was a
marine incident that occurred during an attempted sea crossing from northern
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
to
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
by 36 people, including two dinghy operators and the smugglers' leader. They were trying to cross the
Strait of Otranto
The Strait of Otranto ( sq, Ngushtica e Otrantos; it, Canale d'Otranto; hr, Otrantska Vrata) connects the Adriatic Sea with the Ionian Sea and separates Italy from Albania. Its width at Punta Palascìa, east of Salento is less than . The st ...
, off the southern coast of Italy, in an
inflatable boat
An inflatable boat is a lightweight boat constructed with its sides and bow made of flexible tubes containing pressurised gas. For smaller boats, the floor and hull is often flexible, while for boats longer than , the floor typically consist ...
, heading towards
Brindisi
Brindisi ( , ) ; la, Brundisium; grc, Βρεντέσιον, translit=Brentésion; cms, Brunda), group=pron is a city in the region of Apulia in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea.
Histo ...
, on the
Adriatic
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) ...
coast of
Apulia
it, Pugliese
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, demographic ...
. Twenty-eight people died or were declared lost at sea, and there were only eight survivors. For
Albanian emigrants, the tragedy had the second highest mortality rate for such events, after the
Otranto tragedy
The Tragedy of Otranto took place on 28 March 1997 when the Albanian ship ''Kateri i Radës'' sank in a collision with the Italian naval vessel ''Sibilla'' in the Strait of Otranto and at least 84 Albanians, aged 3 months to 69 years, lost th ...
of March 1997, when the Albanian ship ''Kateri i Radës'', smuggling clandestine emigrants, was hit by the Italian
warship
A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a state. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster a ...
''Sibilla'', resulting in the death of 84 people.
Unemployment, low income, and difficult living conditions persuaded people to leave
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
, especially in the 1990s. Demanding visa requirements produced great difficulties in obtaining travel visas through foreign embassies, followed by a process involving lengthy, complex, and costly procedures, claimed by some to be humiliating, and these were the main reasons suggested as leading to illegal emigration.
Albania signed its first Readmission Agreement with Italy on 18 November 1997. In August 2002, after making a show of burning some inflatable boats used for people smuggling in the
mole
Mole (or Molé) may refer to:
Animals
* Mole (animal) or "true mole", mammals in the family Talpidae, found in Eurasia and North America
* Golden moles, southern African mammals in the family Chrysochloridae, similar to but unrelated to Talpida ...
of Radhima, the Albanian Prime minister
Fatos Nano
Fatos Nano (; born 16 September 1952) is an Albanian socialist politician who served as Prime Minister of Albania in 1991, from 1997 to 1998 and from 2002 to 2005. He was the first leader and founder of the Socialist Party of Albania and a member ...
declared that "… we are burning the past and piracy from our coasts. There's no more rubber dinghies and traffickers on the waters of the Republic of Albania."
[Archives of articles, interviews and analysis on Karaburun tragedy (in Albanian)](_blank)
/ref> Despite the political reforms and successes of the Albanian government in its efforts to stop illegal emigration, in early 2004 this phenomenon still existed, as evidenced by the Karaburun deaths on 9 January. It was not until some six and a half years later, on 8 November 2010, that the Council of the European Union
The Council of the European Union, often referred to in the treaties and other official documents simply as the Council, and informally known as the Council of Ministers, is the third of the seven Institutions of the European Union (EU) as ...
approved visa-free travel into the Schengen Area
The Schengen Area ( , ) is an area comprising 27 European countries that have officially abolished all passport and all other types of border control at their mutual borders. Being an element within the wider area of freedom, security and j ...
for Albanian citizens.
Description
There were 36 people from North Albania who traveled from Shkodër
Shkodër ( , ; sq-definite, Shkodra) is the fifth-most-populous city of the Republic of Albania and the seat of Shkodër County and Shkodër Municipality. The city sprawls across the Plain of Mbishkodra between the southern part of Lake Shkod ...
to Vlorë
Vlorë ( , ; sq-definite, Vlora) is the third most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Vlorë County and Vlorë Municipality. Located in southwestern Albania, Vlorë sprawls on the Bay of Vlorë and is surrounded by the foothi ...
carried in a closed van to Dhërmi
Dhërmi ( sq-definite, Dhërmiu; el, Δρυμάδες, ''Drymádes'') is a village in Vlorë County, Albania. It is part of the municipality of Himarë. The village lies 42 kilometers south of the city of Vlorë and about the same distance north ...
. Each of them had paid 1500 euro
The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...
s to the traffickers in order to pass illegally to Italy's southern coasts. They embarked with two dinghy drivers and one trafficker, setting out at around 17:30 from the northern coasts of Dhërmi village on the stormy afternoon of 9 January, after it became completely dark. Half an hour after their departure both of the boat's motors stopped, possibly because of the over-load of passengers, as well as the difficult sea conditions. Returning was impossible. They were trapped by the sea that had a force of 6 on the Beaufort scale, despite being just 3 miles from Karaburun Peninsula's western shores. One of the motors started leaking fuel, burning some passengers. The people on board tried desperately to call their relatives and the police for help, and at 21:30 one of the dinghy drivers called Top-Channel
Top Channel is a national commercial television network based in Tirana, Albania, founded by Dritan Hoxha in 2001.
In January 2008, Top Channel was awarded national frequency coverage by making it the third such channel in Albania. In 2009, i ...
TV. The boat filled with water but did not sink. Some passengers could not endure the cold and the burns and eventually died.
According to the Dhërmi police post's chief, V. Kordhishta, at 17:40 his superiors were notified about the watercraft seen on radar, moving away at a mere 200 m from the shore. Afterwards, with other policemen, he went to the place where the embarkation occurred on the northern shores of Dhërmi
Dhërmi ( sq-definite, Dhërmiu; el, Δρυμάδες, ''Drymádes'') is a village in Vlorë County, Albania. It is part of the municipality of Himarë. The village lies 42 kilometers south of the city of Vlorë and about the same distance north ...
and found an abandoned Peugeot
Peugeot (, , ) is a French brand of automobiles owned by Stellantis.
The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was founded in 1810, with a steel foundry that soon started making hand tools and kitchen equipment, and the ...
car and some empty plastic cans of fuel
A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases energy as thermal energy or to be used for work. The concept was originally applied solely to those materials capable of releasing chemical energy but ...
. At 18:30, the radar in Vlorë tracked two watercraft
Any vehicle used in or on water as well as underwater, including boats, ships, hovercraft and submarines, is a watercraft, also known as a water vessel or waterborne vessel. A watercraft usually has a propulsive capability (whether by sail, ...
, 3 miles off Karaburun's coast, publicly confirmed by a spokesman of the Ministry of Order during a transmission on Top-Channel
Top Channel is a national commercial television network based in Tirana, Albania, founded by Dritan Hoxha in 2001.
In January 2008, Top Channel was awarded national frequency coverage by making it the third such channel in Albania. In 2009, i ...
. At 18:40 a patrol boat
A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and the ...
of the Delta Force unit, an inflatable dinghy of the Border Patrol and another patrol boat set off toward Dhermi. Due to the bad weather they could not progress beyond ''Mezokanal'' between Sazan Island
Sazan ( sq-definite, Sazani) is an Albanian uninhabited island in the Mediterranean Sea. The largest of Albania's islands, it is a designated military exclusion zone; it lies in a strategically important location between the Strait of Otranto a ...
and Karaburun Peninsula and docked in ''Shën Jan'' bay, near Cape of Gjuhëz
The Cape of Gjuhëz ( sq, Kepi i Gjuhëzës) is a rocky cape northwest of Karaburun Peninsula as well as the westernmost point of continental Albania. It projects into the sea in the form of the tongue, thus the origin of its name. The altitudes ...
. At 19:00 the boat's approximate coordinates were determined, and at 21:40 the Italian representatives of NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
in Durrës were notified. They additionally sent several watercraft and two helicopters. At 1 a.m. the search was stopped, to be resumed in the morning.
A NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
helicopter, AB 212
The Bell UH-1N Twin Huey is a medium military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturer Bell Helicopter. It is a member of the extensive Huey family, the initial version was the CUH-1N Twin Huey (later CH-135 Twi ...
model, reached the location of the inflatable boat at 8:30 on Saturday, 10 January. The pilot hovered over the target for nearly half an hour until a '’CP-407'’ patrol boat
A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and the ...
of the 28th Group of the Italian navy ( Marina Militare) stationed in Durrës seaport, could arrive to save the 11 survivors. They found 21 dead bodies: 18 males and 3 females, with 7 others missing. The 21 dead bodies were transported and arrived at 1 p.m. at Albanian-Italian naval base of Sazan. At 14:20, the 11 survivors from the Guardia di Finanza
The ''Guardia di Finanza'' (G. di F. or GdF) () (English: literal: ''Guard of Finance'', paraphrased: ''Financial Police'' or ''Financial Guard'') is an Italian law enforcement agency under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance. ...
's ship arrived at the Vlora seaport. The survivors were sent to the hospital for medical care and one was airlifted by helicopter to Tirana for further medical assistance. At 18:00, the 21 bodies
Bodies may refer to:
* The plural of body
* ''Bodies'' (2004 TV series), BBC television programme
* Bodies (upcoming TV series), an upcoming British crime thriller limited series
* "Bodies" (''Law & Order''), 2003 episode of ''Law & Order''
* ...
in plastic bags arrived from Sazan Island
Sazan ( sq-definite, Sazani) is an Albanian uninhabited island in the Mediterranean Sea. The largest of Albania's islands, it is a designated military exclusion zone; it lies in a strategically important location between the Strait of Otranto a ...
at the morgue of Vlorë, where police authorities barred journalists from entering.
Contradictions
Several contradictions surround the entire event. The survivors on board stated that two people had died from injuries and burns from the probable blast of one of the motors. Meanwhile, one of them was seriously burned and sent by helicopter to Tirana
Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...
for specialized treatment. Captain Santarelli, chief of the Guardia di Finanza
The ''Guardia di Finanza'' (G. di F. or GdF) () (English: literal: ''Guard of Finance'', paraphrased: ''Financial Police'' or ''Financial Guard'') is an Italian law enforcement agency under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance. ...
clearly stated that there were no signs of fire on the boat. It was speculated the motor had suffered an unexpected small blast without spreading fire, instead just leading to fuel leakage.
Giuseppe da Salvo, the pilot of the helicopter who was the first to notice the inflatable boat
An inflatable boat is a lightweight boat constructed with its sides and bow made of flexible tubes containing pressurised gas. For smaller boats, the floor and hull is often flexible, while for boats longer than , the floor typically consist ...
with survivors and the 21 deceased victims on board, expressed his surprise when learning that three fire extinguishers in good condition were found on the boat. He departed from Durrës
Durrës ( , ; sq-definite, Durrësi) is the second most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Durrës County and Durrës Municipality. It is located on a flat plain along the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast between the mouths of ...
at 21:00 when the wind's speed reached , while flying a helicopter would normally be prohibited. After flying for two hours over the presumed location of the vessel on the Ionian sea
The Ionian Sea ( el, Ιόνιο Πέλαγος, ''Iónio Pélagos'' ; it, Mar Ionio ; al, Deti Jon ) is an elongated bay of the Mediterranean Sea. It is connected to the Adriatic Sea to the north, and is bounded by Southern Italy, including C ...
, he turned back without finding the target. The next morning the boat was located. Meanwhile, the survivors deny the existence of any fire extinguishers on board.
Second boat
The existence of two watercraft was publicly reported late at night by a Ministry of Public Order representative through a national TV channel, referring to what the radar in Vlore had detected. Nevertheless, after the 11 survivors were found, it was officially reported there was only one inflatable boat
An inflatable boat is a lightweight boat constructed with its sides and bow made of flexible tubes containing pressurised gas. For smaller boats, the floor and hull is often flexible, while for boats longer than , the floor typically consist ...
with a total number of 39 passengers. The Democratic opposition deputies claimed the concealment of another boat by the government officials. Nikollë Mhillaj, the founder and chair of the Association ''9 Janar'' asked for efforts being made to pursue the issue at the highest level of justice and the clarification of the existence of the second boat.
Director of Criminal Police of the General Directorate of State Police, Mr. Sokol Bizhga, attested in his testimony
In law and in religion, testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter.
Etymology
The words "testimony" and "testify" both derive from the Latin word ''testis'', referring to the notion of a disinterested third-party witness.
La ...
for the Prosecution of Vlorë that another inflatable boat was found a few hours before Guardia di Finanza
The ''Guardia di Finanza'' (G. di F. or GdF) () (English: literal: ''Guard of Finance'', paraphrased: ''Financial Police'' or ''Financial Guard'') is an Italian law enforcement agency under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance. ...
's watercraft rescued the 11 survivors: "At the dawn of 10 January, around 06:30 we noticed at a distance about four miles from Gjiri i Dafinës (''Laurel bay '') a rubber dinghy
An inflatable boat is a lightweight boat constructed with its sides and bow made of flexible tubes containing pressurised gas. For smaller boats, the floor and hull is often flexible, while for boats longer than , the floor typically consists ...
. We distinguished that there were people on it, but didn't notice whether they were moving. I contacted the operating room of Vlora and after thirty minutes a watercraft, probably of the Interforce unit came to place. Ten minutes later a helicopter arrived. When they reached the dinghy, I was confirmed that there were dead people, but I couldn't go there because there was no place on the vessel for me..."
Investigations and aftermath
The two dinghy drivers were initially sent to the hospital but then taken into custody. One of them, A. Rrokaj, was the son of the Chief of the Antiterrorist Police Department in Shkodër
Shkodër ( , ; sq-definite, Shkodra) is the fifth-most-populous city of the Republic of Albania and the seat of Shkodër County and Shkodër Municipality. The city sprawls across the Plain of Mbishkodra between the southern part of Lake Shkod ...
and nephew of Vlorë Seaport' s vice director. The second driver's brother was the owner of the boat. Another relative, Chief of the Circulation Police Department of Vlorë
Vlorë ( , ; sq-definite, Vlora) is the third most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Vlorë County and Vlorë Municipality. Located in southwestern Albania, Vlorë sprawls on the Bay of Vlorë and is surrounded by the foothi ...
was also involved and all were sentenced or imprisoned. The opposition leader deputies of the Democratic party accused the government of strong implication in the tragedy and in involvement in clandestine trafficking. They asked for the resignation of the Minister of Public Order, Mr. Igli Toska, as well as the PM Fatos Nano
Fatos Nano (; born 16 September 1952) is an Albanian socialist politician who served as Prime Minister of Albania in 1991, from 1997 to 1998 and from 2002 to 2005. He was the first leader and founder of the Socialist Party of Albania and a member ...
. An atmosphere of discontent arose among the populace towards the government and some peaceful protests were held.
On 3 March 2006, despite provoking a broad public debate, the moratorium on motor speedboats took effect; a three-year term law, banning all Albanian motor vehicle movement in the territorial waters of Albania. Five years after the tragedy, on 25 February 2009, some of the relatives of the victims staged a hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke a feeling of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most ...
. On 17 March 2009 the Court of Appeal in Vlorë decided to reopen investigations into the tragedy of Karaburun and in December 2009, one of the main organizers of the trafficking was arrested in Borgo San Lorenzo
Borgo San Lorenzo is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about northeast of Florence. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 18,085 and an area of .All demographics and o ...
, Italy, under a fake name. He had previously been sentenced to 25 years of imprisonment by the Court of Appeal in Vlorë. In February 2010, Albanian President decreed the law on the "Moratorium of motor sailing boats of the Republic of Albania". The Democratic majority approved the law by only 72 votes (out of 140), with the explicit disapproval of the opposition. According to the law, the effect of the moratorium on seas, lakes and rivers of the country was extended for 3 more years.
Cultural references
In February 2004, the well-known Albanian folk singer Bujar Qamili sang ''Zëra në fund të detit'' ('' Voices in the bottom of the sea''), a song dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Karaburun tragedy. The lyrics were written by Qazim Çela and Jorgo Papingji and the music was composed by the Aliu brothers and orchestrated by Luan Degestani.
At the third occasion of the Tirana International Short Film Festival (TIFF), held from 6 to 10 December 2006 in Tirana
Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...
, Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
, the young movie director Gledis Bica competed with the documentary film entitled ''Ëndrra të Mbytura'' ('' Drowned dreams''). The short movie tells about what happened during the tragedy of 9 January and the title itself refers to the unfortunate victims who were dreaming of a better life. TIFF, 4–10 December 2006 – INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION SELECTED FILMS
/ref>
See also
*Tragedy of Otranto
The Tragedy of Otranto took place on 28 March 1997 when the Albanian ship ''Kateri i Radës'' sank in a collision with the Italian naval vessel ''Sibilla'' in the Strait of Otranto and at least 84 Albanians, aged 3 months to 69 years, lost the ...
*Strait of Otranto
The Strait of Otranto ( sq, Ngushtica e Otrantos; it, Canale d'Otranto; hr, Otrantska Vrata) connects the Adriatic Sea with the Ionian Sea and separates Italy from Albania. Its width at Punta Palascìa, east of Salento is less than . The st ...
*Albanian diaspora
The Albanian diaspora ( sq, Mërgata Shqiptare or Diaspora Shqiptare) are the ethnic Albanians and their descendants living outside of Albania, Kosovo, southeastern Montenegro, western North Macedonia, southeastern Serbia, northwestern Greece a ...
*Karaburun Peninsula, Albania
, image_name = June_22_2013_432_HSV_Albanische_Riviera.jpg
, image_caption = Satellite imagery of Karaburun Peninsula
, image_alt = Satellity imagery of Karaburun Peninsula
, map_image =
, map ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Karaburun Tragedy
2004 disasters in Europe
2004 in Albania
Albania–Italy relations
Maritime incidents in 2004
Maritime incidents in Albania
Migrant boat disasters in the Mediterranean Sea