Two young migrants were saved from benzene poisoning after being urgently transferred by helicopter from Lampedusa to the hospital of Agrigento on June 10.
Two young migrants who had recently landed on Lampedusa were transferred by helicopter on June 10 to the Sicilian city of Agrigento due to severe benzene poisoning.
They had inhaled fuel for a prolonged period while crossing the Mediterranean to reach Italy, medical sources said.
Medics at the San Giovanni di Dio hospital saved them using an antivenom antidote.
"Thanks to the provision and administration of the antidote we have, the so-called 'methylene blue', the two patients were saved from sure death, given the condition they were in" when they arrived at the hospital, said the director of the hospital's pharmacy, Giuseppe Bellavia.
"The patients immediately responded to treatment and are much better now. We are confident that we will be able to transfer them to the general medicine ward soon," added the head of the intensive care unit of the Agrigento hospital, Gerlando Fiorica.
Overall, 74 migrants were rescued off Lampedusa during the evening of June 9.
They included 20 rescued by the NGO-run rescue ship Sea Punk1, and 54 rescued by a finance police cutter.