A charity rescue vessel has rescued 50 migrants from a wooden boat in international waters off the Libyan coast, while seven others were found dead, according to the humanitarian organisation EMERGENCY.
Two of the survivors were in critical condition after suffering from suffocation and required urgent medical evacuation, the organisation said.
The survivors told rescuers that they had departed from the Libyan coastal town of Zuwara on August 16. The group included people from Somalia and Egypt.
Among those rescued were 45 men and five women, while 29 of the survivors were unaccompanied minors, highlighting the vulnerability of children attempting the dangerous Mediterranean crossing.
The rescue comes amid continued efforts by migrants to leave Libya by sea despite the risks associated with overcrowded and poorly equipped boats.
The central Mediterranean remains one of the world’s most dangerous migration routes, with migrants frequently facing life threatening conditions during attempts to reach Europe.
The deaths reported in the latest incident add to the continuing humanitarian toll along the route, where rescue organisations have repeatedly called for greater protection for migrants and expanded search and rescue operations.
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