The NGO SOS Méditerranée announced on Sunday that the rescue vessel at sea, the Ocean Viking, collected 228 people, including 51 minorswho were trying to reach Europe in small boats, during four rescue operations in less than 24 hours.
Maltese and Libyan search and rescue zones
The first intervention made it possible to save 93 people who were on an overloaded wooden boat. It took place on Saturday afternoon, in the Maltese search and rescue zone, the NGO SOS Méditerranée, headquartered in Marseille, said in a statement.
The second intervention followed, during the night from Saturday to Sunday. She made it possible to support 88 other immigrantsincluding a baby, while they were on another overloaded wooden boat in the Libyan search and rescue zone.
On Sunday, the Ocean Viking made two more rescues. Again in the Maltese area, a new wooden boat threatened to take on water. The 22 people who were there were saved.
Finally, a fourth rescue was able to take place on Sunday morning, still in the Maltese area. The SOS Méditerranée teams were able to recover 25 people who were in a fiberglass boat, in distress in international waters.
The Ocean Viking had been alerted by the Colibri 2, a plane from the NGO Pilotes Volontaires which helps in rescue operations through aerial observation. SOS Méditerranée specifies in its press release that among the 51 rescued minors, 49 were unaccompanied.