600 People in Danger. Rescue in progress!
10.04.2015 / 17:43 – Central Mediterranean Sea
The Alarm Phone is in touch with people in distress on a vessel in the Central Mediterranean Sea right now (10.04.2015,4:50pm). There are about 600 passengers on the vessel and unfortunately no rescue services have arrived.The situation is getting more and more dangerous! Water is entering the vessel!
Rescue Operation by Italy under way!
Friday, April 10, 2015, 17:15 by Mark Micallef
LISTEN: Phone call from migrants in trouble south of Malta
Around 1,500 asylum seekers flee Libya
A group of some 620 migrants who left from Libya early in the morning have just launched an SOS after the engine on their vessel started misfiring.
The group is just one of a number developing south of Malta.
Times of Malta managed to contact the migrants on a satellite phone number provided by a source. An Eritrean migrant on the other end of the line said there were many women, two children and at least one pregnant woman on board.
“Many people are vomiting, we have no water, we have no food… and the engine, sometimes it is stopping,” the migrant said.
He said the boat was carrying mainly Eritreans and Somalis. They are believed to have left from Sabratha, 66 kilometres west of the capital Tripoli, earlier this morning.
Italian rescue authorities picked up the SOS call from the boat and are coordinating the rescue.
The Armed Forces of Malta meanwhile said it is assisting the operations with an offshore patrol vessel which is on Frontex patrol.
The vessel is currently proceeding towards the rescue area.
The AFM said it is estimated that around 1,500 migrants departed on „several“ boats from Libya.
Transcript
Individual 1: Hello…
TOM: Hello… is there someone who speaks English?
Individual 1: Hello, hello… OK, OK
Individual 2: Hello
TOM: Hello, hi, do you speak English?
Individual 2: Ya… I speak English ya.
TOM: I am told that you are on a boat right now and you are trying to reach Europe.
Individual 2: Aah, but I don’t know … [inaudible]
…
TOM: How many people are on board?
Individual 2: We are 620 people…
TOM: What nationalities are you?
Individual 2: We are from Eritrea. Most of us are Eritreans, some of them are Somalis and very few are Ethiopian…
…
TOM: Is the boat working or are you in trouble?
Individual 2: Yes we are travelling.
TOM: You are travelling…
Individual 2: Ya, but… [inaudible] …was mixing oil with water, is travelling… slowly and suddenly the engine stopped, completely stopped.
TOM: So your engine isn’t working.
Individual 2: It is working but almost… [inaudible]…
TOM: You’re taking in water… right now.
Individual 2: Yes.
…
Individual: The woman [inaudible] are also pregnant.
TOM: How many women are on board?
Individual: [inaudible] the largest number is women.
…
Individual: Please help us [inaudible] we are nearly die [ing], we don’t have food, we don’t have water to drink, please we are suffering, help us please.