Hundreds of migrants rescued while trying to reach Italy from Egypt

Record ID: 103710

  • Title: Hundreds of migrants rescued while trying to reach Italy from Egypt
  • Date: 13th May 2016
  • Summary: AUGUSTA, SICILY, ITALY (MAY 13, 2016) (REUTERS) COASTGUARD SHIP WITH RESCUED MIGRANTS ON BOARD APPROACHING COASTGUARD SHIP MOORING MIGRANTS ON DECK RESCUE OFFICIALS NEXT TO SHIP VARIOUS OF RESCUED MIGRANTS ON SHIP OFFICIALS / RESCUE WORKERS AND MIGRANTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNHCR SPOKESPERSON FOR SOUTHERN EUROPE, CARLOTTA SAMI, SAYING: "Today we are in Augusta, in Sicily, and here on these docks arrived a boat of the Coastguard with 340 refugees and migrants. They left from Egypt several days ago. There are at least two boats that left from Egypt with a total of more than 500 refugees and migrants. It is still quite early to have a clear idea about the nationalities. We may have Syrians and Somalis and several other nationalities. And what is sure is that the route is very long, it is very risky and these people, including many families with babies have been adrift at sea for many days, up to a week. And we know also that there are a lot of unaccompanied minors, from 12 to 16, 17 years old. They are here alone and they are following all the procedures, the medical procedures and the screening by the police." MIGRANTS ON DECK VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS ON DOCK / MIGRANTS SITTING IN THE SHADE WOMAN HUGGING TODDLER SCREENING PROCESS UNDERWAY ESCORTED MIGRANTS WALKING IN HARBOUR
  • Embargoed: 28th May 2016 14:21
  • Keywords: migrants refugees sea rescue migrant crisis Egypt
  • Location: AUGUSTA, SICILY, ITALY
  • City: AUGUSTA, SICILY, ITALY
  • Country: Italy
  • Reuters ID: LVA0014HN58AV
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: At least 340 migrants rescued at sea by the Italian Coastguard were brought to safety to the Sicilian port town of Augusta on Friday (May 13).
    The migrants were among some 800 people packed in rusty fishing boats before they were spotted by coastguard from the air on Thursday (May 12) south-east of the Sicilian coast.
    The migrants waited onboard after the boat arrived in Augusta ahead of registration with officials.
    They will also have their health checked by Italian Red Cross personnel who had set up a tent on the dock to process the migrants.
    The Italian Navy were assisted by a Finnish military ship, the Merikarhu, in the rescue. The Merikarhu took on board the rest of the migrants.
    An Italian coastguard statement said 515 people had been plucked from one boat and a further 286 people rescued in another operation involving the Finnish naval vessel.
    According to a UNHCR spokesperson at the scene, it was too early to be sure about the nationality of the migrants but that Somalis and Syrians were amongst those rescued.
    At least two of the rescued boats, carrying over 500 migrants over all, had departed from Egypt and had been adrift at sea for up to a week, added UNHCR spokesperson Carlotta Sami.
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