Two rescues were carried out in the Maltese search and rescue zone on Monday. According to the organization SOS Méditerranée, 111 migrants were picked up from two separate boats.
The Ocean Viking, a private rescue ship operated by the NGO SOS Méditerranée, rescued 22 people, including several women, from a boat in distress off the Maltese coast on Monday afternoon (January 27), the Marseille-based NGO announced.
In a second rescue, details of which the organization released on Tuesday afternoon (January 28), the crew of the Ocean Viking came across another boat with 92 people on board. The crew of the Ocean Viking were joined by the organization Sea Punks to rescue the people on board.
According to a press statement from SOS Méditerranée, among those rescued on the second boat was a seven-year-old girl with heart problems. The medical teams on board were successfully able to treat her and reanimate her heart, stated SOS Méditerranée.
A Maltese helicopter was sent to airlift the little girl, along with her mother and sister, to safety to receive medical treatment.
Migrants suffering from burns
The rescued individuals, who had spent the night at sea, were reportedly suffering from burns caused by prolonged exposure to a mixture of fuel and salt water. This follows the disembarkation of 43 migrants at the Italian port of Genoa on Friday, who had been rescued by the ship last week.
A rescue was also carried out in the same zone on Sunday by crew from the organization Sea Punks.
The rescue took place in Malta’s search and rescue zone, though no further details were provided.
The Italian authorities have assigned the port of Ancona for disembarkation. The port is several days sailing away from the rescue zone.
Read Also Two children dead, 17 rescued in Mediterranean shipwreck, NGO reports
'We are relieved these people are now safe'
"We are relieved that these people are now safe, but our thoughts remain with others, including two children, who tragically lost their lives two days ago in the same area," SOS Méditerranée said in a statement, referencing a separate rescue by the NGO Sea Punks, which saved 15 people.
According to the UN Migration Agency, International Organization for Migration (IOM), 51 people attempting to reach Europe have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean since the start of the year.
In 2024, 2,328 deaths were recorded, most of them in the Central Mediterranean, one of the world’s deadliest migration routes.
Read AlsoItaly: Emergency's ship reaches Ancona with 49 migrants on board