Over 130 Migrants Disembark From Ocean Viking Rescue Ship in Sicily, SOS Mediterranee Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - More than 130 migrants, including minors, have disembarked from the Ocean Viking rescue ship in Sicily, European maritime and humanitarian organisation SOS Mediterranee reports.

"133 survivors, including minors and people with specific medical needs have disembarked from the #OceanViking in Augusta, Sicily, so far. Disembarkation will resume tomorrow morning," SOS Mediterranee said on Twitter on Friday.

SOS Mediterranee's search and rescue coordinator, Luisa Albera, has addressed EU states with a plea for facilitating the safe disembarkation of survivors, stressing the urgency and unbearable conditions from which the survivors fled. The rescued refugees in the Mediterranean sea were headed to Europe from Libya, where they stayed at detention centres while suffering violence and deprivations from the Libyan militia.

Six rescue operations have been carried out in the Maltese and Libyan search and rescue regions since 1st July, according to SOS Mediterranee.

Earlier this week, SOS Mediterranee announced the rescue of 572 refugees, including 183 minors, from Libya, who were taken aboard the Ocean Viking rescue ship.

In July 2019, SOS Mediterranee and the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF, or Doctors Without Borders) organisation announced the resumption of search-and-rescue activities in the Mediterranean, citing a lack of coordination between EU countries.