Migrants Stranded in Mediterranean Sea, Rescue Workers in Race against Time 🚣♀️💨💔
Da Italian Coast Guard stay leading da rescue effort foa save moa den 400 migrants adrift on top one boat in da Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Malta. Dis da same route dat dem non-governmental organizations (NGOs) stay saying stay super dangerous, and now, rescue workers stay racing against time to save dese migrants who stay stuck at sea.🌊🆘
Three rescue operations stay going on right now, wit multiple vessels involved, foa try and help da 400 migrants on da boat. Dey also stay trying to help anotha boat dat stay carrying about 800 people onboard, according to da Coast Guard, who spoke to CNN.
Da boat wit 400 migrants stay bout 170 miles southeast of Capo Passero, which stay off da coast of Calabria. Dey stay at risk of capsizing afta being stranded foa moa den 24 hours. Dis boat had left Tobruk, Libya overnight and had to call foa help from Alarm Phone, which reported da situation to authorities. However, no rescue operation had been announced at dat time.
Alarm Phone also said dat many of da migrants on board need medical attention, including one child, one pregnant woman, and one disabled person. Dey also said dat some distressed people may have jumped overboard, including one person who stay unconscious on da boat. To make mattas worse, da boat’s hull stay filled wit water too. 😢
Every year, tens of thousands of migrants flee from war, persecution, and poverty to find betta opportunities foa themselves and their families. Dey take da treacherous route and travel in dinghies dat stay not safe foa da journey. Dey can get stranded, which can cause major diplomatic problems between European countries in da region.
In 2022, 105,131 people reached Italy via da Mediterranean Sea, according to da latest figures from da UN’s refugee agency. Da same data found dat 1,368 people were left dead or missing. In March of dis year, at least 28 migrants died afta their boats sank off da coast of Tunisia while trying to cross da Mediterranean Sea to Italy.🚢🛥️
So far dis year, 27,875 people have made da voyage. Most of dem come from da Ivory Coast, Guinea, Bangladesh, Tunisia, and Pakistan.
Da German NGO Sea-Watch International tweeted dat dey had found da boat on Sunday. Dey added dat Maltese authorities had told two nearby merchant ships not to rescue da people on board but had asked one of dem to provide da boat wit fuel, food, and water. CNN tried to reach out to da Maltese authorities foa comment but hasn’t gotten any response yet.
Sea-Watch told CNN on Monday dat da weather stay getting “real bad” during da night, wit waves up to 1.5 meters (5 feet). Da spokesperson foa da NGO said, “Due to da number of people on da boat and da current weather conditions, dere stay one urgent risk dat da boat going capsize.”
Da spokesperson continued, “Da sea rescue coordination center in Malta gotta start one rescue operation right now. But instead, merchant ships stay only instructed to give gasoline so dat da boat can sail to Italy on its own, which stay real dangerous.” 😞
Alarm Phone tweeted dat dey managed to reconnect wit da boat during da early hours of Monday. Dey added dat da migrants had continued their journey and had now reached da shared Search and Rescue (SAR) zone between Malta and Italy. “Dey report high waves and strong wind. Still, no rescue is in.
NOW IN ENGLISH
Migrants Stranded in Mediterranean Sea, Rescue Workers in Race against Time 🚣♀️💨💔
The Italian Coast Guard is leading a rescue effort to save more than 400 migrants adrift on a boat in the perilously dangerous Mediterranean Sea between Italy and Malta. Three rescue operations, involving several vessels, are ongoing to assist the stranded migrants, as well as another boat with an estimated 800 people on board, according to the coast guard, who spoke to CNN.🌊🆘
The boat carrying 400 migrants is situated approximately 170 miles southeast of Capo Passero, off the coast of Calabria, and is at risk of capsizing after being stranded for at least 24 hours. The support service, Alarm Phone, said in a tweet on Sunday that it had received a call from the boat, which had departed from Tobruk, Libya, overnight. It had reported the situation to authorities, but no rescue operation had been announced.
Many on board require medical attention, including a child, a pregnant woman, and a disabled person, according to Alarm Phone. Passengers reported that some distressed people may have jumped overboard, including one person who was unconscious on the boat. The boat’s hull had filled with water, it added. 😢
Every year, tens of thousands of migrants fleeing war, persecution, and poverty risk the treacherous journey in search of better economic prospects. They travel in dinghies that are unfit for the journey and can be left stranded, sparking major diplomatic rows between European countries in the region.
In 2022, 105,131 people reached Italy via the Mediterranean Sea, according to the latest figures from the UN’s refugee agency. The same data found that 1,368 were left dead or missing. In March of this year, at least 28 migrants died after their boats sank off the coast of Tunisia while trying to cross the Mediterranean to Italy.🚢🛥️
So far this year, 27,875 people have made the voyage. Most arrivals have journeyed from the Ivory Coast, Guinea, Bangladesh, Tunisia, and Pakistan.
The German NGO Sea-Watch International tweeted that it had found the boat on Sunday, adding that Maltese authorities had ordered two nearby merchant ships not to rescue those on board but had asked one of them to supply the boat with fuel, food, and water. CNN has contacted the Maltese authorities for comment but has not yet received a response.
Sea-Watch told CNN on Monday that the weather had become “very bad” during the night, with waves up to 1.5 meters (5 feet). “Due to the number of people on the boat and the current weather conditions, there is an urgent risk that the boat will capsize,” a spokesperson for the NGO said.
“The sea rescue coordination center in Malta must, therefore, immediately initiate a rescue operation. Instead, however, merchant ships are instructed to simply dispense gasoline so that the boat can sail to Italy on its own, which is terribly dangerous,” the spokesperson continued.
Alarm Phone said in a tweet it had managed to reconnect with the boat during the early hours on Monday, adding the migrants had continued their journey and had now reached the shared Search and Rescue (SAR) zone between Malta and Italy. “They report high waves and strong wind. Still, no rescue is in sight! Don’t abandon them at sea, rescue now!” the NGO urged.
The Italian Coast Guard told CNN Monday that more than 1,700 migrants had arrived on the Sicilian island of Lampedusa in the last 48 hours. It added there were now 1,800 migrants in a space designed for 400. Lampedusa, the closest Italian island to Africa, is a major destination for migrants seeking to enter European Union countries. 😢
