Ocean Viking rescued 135 immigrants in the central Mediterranean

The ship that the humanitarian organization SOS Méditerranée has chartered rescued on Thursday night (14.03.2024) 135 others aboard a “overloaded boat”, as announced today. The rescue of Ocean Viking became one day after it became known that some 60 migrants were lost at sea in their attempt to sail the Mediterranean. “Last night, Ocean Viking rescued 135 people” including one pregnant woman and eight children in Malta’s search and rescue zone, said the non-governmental organization based in Marseille. Overall, as of Wednesday, Ocean Viking collected 361 people at sea, in four different rescue operations. Two of them, who had lost consciousness, were transported by helicopter ashore from the Italian coast guard but one of them “unfortunately died in the hospital,” the organization said. On board are now 359 rescuers. Ocean Viking heads to the port of Agona, about 1,500 km from the rescue point. Italian slows have described this port as a “safe landing site”, but SOS Méditerranée protested today considering that “people who survived at sea should not be subjected to such a long journey.” Other non-governmental organisations also complain that Italy often allows migrants to disembark in ports far from their rescue area. “There are many attempts at crossing (the Mediterranean) and rescue ships are blocked. There are no state means of rescue in the Mediterranean Sea anymore. And the immediate consequence of this situation is to kill thousands of people every year, deaths that could be avoided,” commented SOS director-general Méditerranée, Sophie Bo, speaking at the French Agency. According to the testimonies of the rescuers of the first inflatable that identified Ocean Viking, “at least 60 people” who were aboard were lost at sea. The boat departed on 8 March from Zawiya, Libya, and after three days its engine broke down. It floated ungoverned for many days, with people having neither water nor food.