The maritime-humanitarian organisation, SOS Mediterranee said 373 migrants from Libya have arrived in Sicily, after being rescued by the vessel ‘Ocean Viking’.
“There are 373 migrants on board the ship, who were rescued within 48 hours and picked up from four boats that were facing dangers in the central Mediterranean region,” the NGO tweeted on Monday.
The humanitarian organization pointed out that, there were pregnant women, children, and unaccompanied minors among the rescued.
Libya has become the preferred point of departure for thousands wishing to cross the Mediterranean to Europe. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported that about 12,000 migrants were intercepted in the Mediterranean and returned to Libya in 2020.
On Wednesday, the IOM said that at least 43 migrants drowned off the Libyan coast when their boat capsized in rough seas. These are the first migrant deaths reported this year.