Nadir rescue boat assists 130 migrants in distress

(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 7 - The civil rescue sail boat Nadir early on Sunday intervened to assist approximately 130 migrants and refugees on an overcrowded two-decked wooden boat that had been adrift with a broken engine in the Central Mediterranean for three days.
    The ship operated by German non-governmental organisation ResQship had been alerted to the distress situation by the hotline Alarmphone.
    The Italian coast guard subsequently arrived on the scene to provide support and all the people on board were rescued.
    On its twitter account ResQship described a situation of panic.
    "In desperation, some people jumped into the water and wanted to swim to the Nadir. Our RHIB crew pulled them out of the water and brought them back to the boat to avoid copycat effects," it said.
    "When the Italian coast guard arrived, panic broke out, some people fell into the water during takeover or got caught between the boats. All could be rescued," continued the NGO.
    The survivors were said to include over 15 minors and to be mostly from Mali and Syria. (ANSA).