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As many as 60 persons are feared to have drowned on a vessel carrying migrants throughout the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy or Malta, the operators of a charity rescue group stated on Thursday.
SOS Mediterranee stated it rescued 25 folks in a “very weak” situation in coordination with the Italian Coast Guard on Wednesday and that two unconscious folks have been flown to Sicily by helicopter.
The central Mediterranean is likely one of the world’s deadliest migration routes. According to the U.N. migration company (IOM), nearly 2,500 migrants died or went lacking trying the crossing final 12 months, and 226 for the reason that begin of 2024.
“The survivors departed from Zawiya, Libya, seven days before they were rescued,” SOS Mediterranee posted on the social media platform X.
“Their engine broke after three days, leaving their boat lost (and) adrift without water and food for days. Survivors report that at least 60 people perished on the way, including women and at least one child,” it added.
There was no fast remark from the Italian Coastguard.
The IOM stated it was “deeply troubled” by the report.
“Urgent action is needed to strengthen maritime patrols and prevent further tragedies,” it stated on X.
In a publish on X on Wednesday, the SOS Mediterranee stated its Ocean Viking vessel had evacuated 25 folks noticed utilizing binoculars who have been on a rubber boat drifting within the Libyan search and rescue space.
The charity stated it picked up an additional 113 folks, together with two kids, from a wood boat and 88 from a packed rubber dingy, in rescue operations on Wednesday and Thursday.
It stated it had been instructed to sail to the Italian Adriatic port of Ancona, about 1,500 km (930 miles) away, however had requested for a more in-depth disembarkation port given the poor situation of the migrants, a few of whom are on oxygen masks.
Charity teams like SOS Mediterranee and others complain that Italy’s right-wing government is obstructing their rescue actions, forcing them to journey to distant ports to disembark migrants and infrequently quickly impounding their ships.
Italy and different European Union governments are attempting to curb the variety of sea migrants making the crossing from North Africa, and have supplied cash or tools to Libya and Tunisia to cease departures from their shores.
Data from the Italian Interior Ministry report that 5,968 migrants have arrived by sea to this point this 12 months, down from 19,937 on the identical stage in 2023.
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