At least 22 people have disappeared and a woman has died in a partial sinking of a rubber raft in the central Mediterranean. The Doctors Without Borders (MSF) team, aboard the ship Geo Barents, managed to rescue 71 survivors yesterday, but could do nothing to revive the victim, a pregnant woman who ended up dying. Three other people needed medical attention, including a four-month-old baby.
The rescue began after the Alarm Phone organization warned of the danger to the barge, which was rescued by the Geo Barents after three hours of navigation. When he arrived, many of the migrants who had been there were already in the water. Among the missing are some children, according to information reported by those who could be saved. Two women have said they have lost their children at sea, as has another young woman, who has said that her little brother is missing after the boat deflated and fell into the sea.
At least ten people, most of them women, are suffering from fuel burns and need further treatment. “These people are exhausted; many have ingested large amounts of seawater and several have suffered hypothermia after spending many hours in the water,” said Stephanie Hofstetter, coordinator of the MSF medical team on board the Geo Barents.
“Our worst nightmare came true. When we approached the inflatable boat and we could see it with the binoculars, we understood how complicated the rescue would be," said the coordinator of the search and rescue team, Riccardo Gatti. "The boat was sinking with dozens of people trapped, while many others were already in the water."
So far this year, 721 people have died in the Mediterranean, which is considered the deadliest border in the world. Since 2014, more than 24,000 migrants have lost their lives in these waters. And, although it is early summer, the situation is already critical on the island of Lampedusa, the southernmost in Italy, where there are 450 people in a center with a capacity for 350.
According to data from the Italian Ministry of the Interior, arrivals in the country have increased by around 30% compared to last year on the same dates, with some 26,000 disembarking compared to 19,300 in 2021. Tonight the authorization has arrived for the ship Sea Watch 4 disembarks in Sicily with 304 rescued on board after 8 days of waiting. The Ocean Viking, owned by SOS Mediterranée, is still waiting for port for 156 survivors.
