🆘This evening, #AlarmPhone was called by about 80 people on a boat in distress off the Libyan coast. They told us that they fled #Libya last night & have run out of fuel. Relevant authorities are informed. They need to be rescued to a safe harbour in #Europe!
#LeaveNoOneBehind
No rescue in sight! The approximately 80 people in distress are drifting at sea. They try to row but are not able to move much. It is dark at sea and the situation on board is desperate! We call on #Europe to mobilise rescue immediately - do not let them drown!
The people in distress were in contact with the Italian Coastguard who told them that rescue is coming, but they tell us: "We called the Italian number many times but keep telling us the rescue is coming, but there's no rescue we have been here for one day, we are very cold".
.@guardiacostiera, when are you going to rescue the approx. 80 people in distess? When are you going to bring them to a #PlaceOfSafety? They have been at sea for more than 24 hours, with no food & no water. Their lives are in danger and every minute counts!
The people are still out at sea. They survived the night but are cold & exhausted. The boat has reached the Maltese SAR zone & we have informed #Malta. We call on Europe's authorities to stop delaying rescue & to adhere to international & human rights law.
Do not lose more time!
10:24h CEST: We keep talking to the people in distress at sea & still there is no rescue in sight. They are 9NM within Maltese SAR (N 34° 29', E011° 59'). We spoke to a women on board who confirmed that there were many women & children, the youngest is just two years old.
At 16:38h CEST we spoke to the people one last time. Our call was interrupted & we received only half of a GPS position: N 34° 52'. Since then we have not been able to re-connect. They can’t spend another night at sea - #Italy & #Malta need to coordinate a rescue operation!
21.10 CEST: Where are they? We lost contact with the boat in distress more than 4 hours ago.
Authorities in #Malta & #Italy were informed almost 24h ago but refuse to give us information.
#DontLetThemDrown
We now learned that the boat arrived in #Lampedusa & ~67 people are safe! They weren't rescued by #Malta & had to cross the entire Maltese SAR with a damaged engine. Upon reaching Italian SAR they were escorted by Italian forces to the harbour. We are relieved that they survived!
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