Updated - Syrian boy who lost everything is reunited with uncle - newspaper says tragedy could have been avoided

A six-year-old Syrian boy who lost his parents, brother and sister in the Lampedusa migrants tragedy of October 11 finally saw a familiar face this morning - he was reunited with his uncle who arrived on a flight from Egypt.

Mohammed Fateh Alsaid Mahmoud was spotted on Facebook by his uncle Maaruuf, who immediately established contact with the Maltese authorities.

He has spoken with the boy practically every day for the past two months and hopes to eventually take him back with him to Egypt.

They used to live in the same house in Syria before leaving the country 18 months ago.

"I consider him my son," he said.

Mohammed has not been told yet that his parents have died.

Meanwhile, L'Espresso newspaper has that the drowning of many Syrian children in the Lampedusa tragedy was the result of a 'passing the buck'.

It said the Italian Navy frigate  Libra was just a few miles away, over the horizon from the migrants. But it wasn't engaged in rescue operations for hours.

The first call for help reached the Coast Guard station in Rome which in turn alerted the Maltese authorities even though the Italians were closer to the site of the shipwreck. "We acted in compliance with International agreements," the Italian authorities said.

At least 268 drowned at sea and 212 were rescued.

See the report on L'Espresso on http://espresso.repubblica.it/internazionale/2013/11/28/news/lampedusa-buck-passing-on-the-massacre-so-they-left-syrians-children-drown-1.143363