Poignant images of survivors of a shipwreck in the central Mediterranean rescued by the ship Ocean Viking
Heartbreaking footage of the Ocean Viking ship rescuing survivors from a shipwreck in the central Mediterranean has recently surfaced. Survivors, rescued from a deflating rubber dinghy, revealed a heartbreaking human tragedy. Around 50 people are believed to have lost their lives during their week-long crossing from Libya.
SOS Méditerranée humanitarian teams shared the heartbreaking details of this rescue. Among the 25 survivors found on board the boat, two were in critical condition, requiring emergency evacuation by the Italian army to receive treatment. The other survivors, mainly men from Senegal, Mali and the Gambia, showed obvious signs of exhaustion, dehydration and burns caused by the boat’s fuel.
Francesco Creazzo, a spokesperson for SOS Méditerranée, described traumatized survivors unable to provide a full account of their journey. These testimonies are crucial for humanitarian organizations trying to establish the exact number of deaths at sea.
The United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that 227 people have lost their lives along the perilous central Mediterranean route this year, up to March 11. These tragedies are in addition to the 279 deaths that have occurred since the start of the year, while 19,562 people have reached Italy via this sea route.
Survivors said the journey began in Zawiya, Libya, with 75 people on board, including women and at least one small child. Shortly after departure, the engine failed, leaving the boat adrift.
These rescue images underline the urgency of the situation in the Mediterranean and the need to strengthen rescue efforts and the prevention of human tragedies at sea. It is essential to raise awareness of these human tragedies and encourage concerted international action to avoid such loss of life in the future.