“Ocean Viking” in the Mediterranean: More than 200 refugees saved

According to its own statements, the “Ocean Viking” rescued more than 200 people from distress during four operations in the Mediterranean. People were admitted to Malta who had set off in a wooden boat in Libya three days earlier.

The rescue ship “Ocean Viking” of the European organization SOS Méditerranée rescued more than 200 people from overcrowded refugee boats in the Mediterranean within a few days. Among the 203 migrants rescued since Thursday, 67 are minors, the organization said.

The people were therefore included in four different rescue operations. According to the information, they come from Egypt, Gambia, Libya, South Sudan, Syria and Tunisia.

886 dead since the beginning of the year

In a rescue operation in the waters around Malta, 71 people were recently taken in. They found themselves in an overloaded wooden boat that had started three days earlier from the Libyan coast. Four people had to be rescued from the boat on stretcher because of their weakened condition.

According to the International Organization for Migration, 886 migrants have died in the dangerous crossing over the Mediterranean since the beginning of the year. According to official figures, more than 1200 people died trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe last year. However, experts assume a high number of unreported cases. SOS Méditerranée claims to have saved more than 30,000 people since February 2016.