The Italian coastguard is trying to rescue about 1,200 migrants in the Mediterranean Sea on Monday, who are crammed on two fishing boats. The Coast Guard has already collected 2,000 people from the sea in various operations since Friday.
An operation is currently underway to remove 800 migrants from an overcrowded fishing boat, the coastguard said, adding that this is particularly complex because the boat is overcrowded.
The boat is located in Italian waters more than 190 kilometers southeast of Siracusa in Sicily. Three Coast Guard patrol boats and a merchant vessel, coordinated by the Coast Guard vessel ‘Nave Peluso’, are involved in the rescue operation.
2,000 people
A second fishing boat carrying 400 migrants was intercepted in Italian waters by the coastguard vessel ‘Diciotti’ southeast of Cape Passero, on the southern tip of Sicily. According to the Coast Guard, two merchant ships were involved in the rescue operation. Alarm Phone, a number for those in distress at sea, said on Twitter on Monday that the migrants on board were “panicked”.
Some 2,000 people have been rescued in multiple operations since Friday, the Coast Guard said. Thousands of migrants have reached Italian shores, including the island of Lampedusa, in recent days following the perilous journey in makeshift boats from the North African coast.
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