The aid organization SOS Mediterranee, based in Marseille in the south of France, said their ship went down on the way to Europe. The rescued, mostly from Gambia and Senegal, were dehydrated, exhausted and had fuel burns.
Young rescued people were traveling without families
Most of them are minors and have tried to cross the Mediterranean alone – without their families. They would now be cared for by helpers from SOS Mediterranee and the International Committee of the Red Cross on board the “Ocean Viking”.
The authorities in Italy have said that passengers are allowed to go ashore in the port of Bari. This means a three-day crossing, explained SOS Mediterranee.
Number of missing migrants increases
According to the Italian Interior Ministry, 90,000 migrants reached the country by sea this year. According to estimates by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), around 1,700 people who have tried to cross the Mediterranean since the beginning of the year are missing. Last year there were a total of 1417.
nob/kle (afp, epd)
Source: DW
