Shipwreck with migrants off the coast of Libya

A pregnant woman has lost her life and at least 22 people, including young children, are missing after the sinking of their boat in the central Mediterranean, Doctors Without Borders announced today.

The group rescued 71 migrants, including a four-month-old baby, by sending the Geo Barents ambulance ship off the Libyan coast, where the boat sank on Monday.

“We are facing our worst nightmare,” Ricardo Gatti, the team leader, said in a statement.

The boat with the migrants was sinking and many people were already in the water when Geo Barents approached them, after receiving a message to help a boat in danger. The volunteers put a pregnant woman on the ambulance ship, but she succumbed, despite the doctors’ efforts to keep her alive.

According to survivors, 22 people are missing. Two mothers said they lost their children at sea while a young woman said she lost her little brother.

An infant was rescued and transported with his mother to Malta for treatment. The rest of the survivors remain on Geo Barents.

“The survivors are exhausted, many have been drinking sea water and many are suffering from hypothermia because they have been at sea for many hours,” said Stephanie Hofstetter, head of MSF’s medical team. “At least 10 people, mostly women, are suffering from fuel burns and need medical treatment,” he added.

Crossing the central Mediterranean is considered one of the most dangerous routes for migrants trying to reach Europe. According to the Italian Ministry of Interior, about 27,000 people have arrived in the country since the beginning of the year, while last year, in the corresponding period, there were less than 20,000 arrivals.

SOURCE: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ