25 people rescued in a \u201cvery weak\u201d condition in coordination with the Italian Coast Guard
\n ROME
\nAs many as 60 people are feared to have drowned on a vessel carrying migrants across the Central Mediterranean from Libya to Italy or Malta, the operators of a charity rescue group said on Thursday.
\nSOS Mediterranee said it rescued 25 people in a \u201cvery weak\u201d condition in coordination with the Italian Coast Guard on Wednesday and that two unconscious people were flown to Sicily by helicopter.
\nThe Central Mediterranean is one of the world\u2019s most dangerous sea migration routes. According to the UN migration agency (IOM), almost 2,500 migrants using it died or went missing last year, and 226 since the start of 2024.
\n\u201cThe survivors departed from Zawiya, Libya, seven days before they were rescued,\u201d SOS Mediterranee posted on the social media platform X.
\n\u201cTheir 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,\u201d it added.
\nThere was no immediate comment from the Italian Coast Guard.
\nThe IOM said it was \u201cdeeply troubled\u201d by the report.
\n\u201cUrgent action is needed to strengthen maritime patrols and prevent further tragedies,\u201d it said on X.
\nIn a post on X on Wednesday, the SOS Mediterranee said its Ocean Viking vessel had evacuated 25 people spotted using binoculars who were on a rubber boat drifting in the Libyan search and rescue area.
\nItaly and other European Union governments are trying to curb the number of sea migrants making the crossing from North Africa, and have offered money or equipment to Libya and Tunisia to stop departures from their shores.
\nData from the Italian Interior Ministry record that 5,968 migrants have arrived by sea so far this year, down from 19,937 at the same stage in 2023.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
25 people rescued in a \u201cvery weak\u201d condition in coordination with the Italian Coast Guard ROME As many as 60 people are feared to have drowned on a vessel carrying migrants across the Central Mediterranean from Libya to Italy or Malta, the operators of a charity rescue group said on Thursday. SOS Mediterranee said it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":393876,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-393867","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n