The Italian Coast Guard has rescued
211 refugees and migrants from a fishing boat adrift in stormy
seas off Lampedusa.
The rescue, involving two Coast Guard vessels, took place on
Thursday night in the Italian search and rescue zone roughly 15
miles south off the tiny Sicilian island.
The rescued people were disembarked in Lampedusa and one person,
suspected of being the smuggler, was handed over to police.
The operation takes to around 9,000 the number of refugees and
migrants rescued by the Italian Coast guard since the start of
the year while attempting the perilous sea crossing to Europe.
In 2022 the number stood at over 55,000.
The rescue came as the Public Prosecutor's Office in the
Calabrian city of Crotone asked the Coast Guard and the Guardia
di Finanza tax police for their records relating to their
activities in the hours before a fishing boat that departed from
Turkey and thought to be carrying up to 200 refugees and
migrants broke up in rough seas off Steccato di Cutro in the
early hours of Sunday, leaving 68 people confirmed dead and many
missing. 79 people survived the tragedy.
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