October 2013 Current Events: Disasters & Science News. Here are the key events in Science and Disasters news for the month of October 2013. *. Boat Sinks in the Mediterranean, Killing Dozens (Oct. 3):At least 94 people are dead and another 250 are missing after a boat capsizes in the Mediterraneannear the Sicilian island of Lampedusa. The boat, carrying African migrants to Europe, sinks after passengers light a blanket on fire to signal their position. The fire spreads from the blanket to gasoline, creating a panic that sinks the boat. It is the worst boating accident of its kind in the region.