News Desk
ROME: An Italian rescue charity said on Monday that it had rescued 50 people from a double-deck wooden boat in international waters off the coast of Libya, while seven others were found dead.
The charity, Emergency, said its rescue team had reached the overcrowded vessel and brought those on board to safety. The operation took place in international waters, where migrant boats attempting to cross the Mediterranean have frequently faced dangerous conditions.
Emergency said seven people had died before they could be rescued. Two others were in critical condition after suffering from suffocation. “There was nothing that could be done for seven of them,” Emergency said in a statement.
The charity said the two critically ill survivors required urgent medical attention. The circumstances surrounding the deaths were not immediately clear, including how long the people had been aboard the wooden vessel or how long they had been exposed to the dangerous conditions.
The rescue highlighted the continuing risks faced by people attempting to reach Europe by sea from North Africa. Boats leaving Libya are often overcrowded and poorly equipped, leaving passengers vulnerable to dehydration, suffocation and drowning during the crossing.
The central Mediterranean has remained one of the world’s most dangerous migration routes. Rescue groups have repeatedly called for greater search-and-rescue capacity and safer routes for people seeking to cross the sea.
The rescued people were taken into the care of the emergency team after being brought off the vessel. Emergency said the operation had prevented further loss of life, but seven people had already died by the time help reached the boat.
