Skip to main content

Libyan coast guard boat rams into migrant dinghy, throwing 50 into Mediterranean

A Libyan coast guard boat rammed into a dingy carrying some 50 migrants just off Libya's coast on Friday, partially sinking the vessel. Many of those onboard were thrown into the Mediterranean Sea and had to swim to another Libyan ship nearby for safety, a rescue group said.

It appeared to be the latest reckless sea interception of migrants by the Libyan coast guard, which is trained and financed by the European Union to stem the influx of migrants to Europe. Libya has in recent years emerged as the dominant transit point for migrants seeking a better life in Europe.

The German sea rescue group Sea-Watch released a video appearing to show the Libyan coast guard boat nearing the dinghy, after which most of those on the vessel fall into the water. Sea-Watch said the Libyan coast guard then took the migrants aboard another ship, a coast guard frigate.

EUROPE-BOUND MIGRANT BOAT SINKS OFF THE COAST OF LIBYA, LEADING TO AT LEAST 55 DEATHS

There were no immediate reports of any fatalities or of anyone missing.

Sea-Watch, which carries out rescue operations in the central Mediterranean, said the coast guard was chasing the rubber dingy since early Friday morning before slamming into its side.

From their twin-engine Seabird, Sea-Watch rescuers had repeatedly called on the Libyan coast guard to stop chasing the dingy, they said.

The Sea-Watch video, filmed from the Seabird, shows the migrants who were plunged into the sea swimming towards the nearby frigate and sailors throwing buoyance vests to them.

Those who remained on the sinking dingy were pulled towards the frigate and were also taken on board. A spokesman from Libyan coast guard did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Sea-Watch spokesperson Felix Wiess told The Associated Press by phone that the incident took place roughly 30 miles north of Libya's western city of Zuwara.

A civilian rescue ship Louise Michel arrived at the scene shortly afterward and asked to take the migrants, which the coast guard denied.

MIGRANTS TRAPPED ON TUNISIA-LIBYA BORDER TRANSFERRED BACK TO TUNISIA AFTER FACING DANGEROUS CONDITIONS

Since 2015, the EU has been funding the Libyan coast guard as part of efforts to stem the flow of migrants from the North African country towards Italian shores.

Another rescue group, SOS Mediterranee, said in March that the Libyan coast guard fired warning shots at it as it attempted to rescue migrants from a packed ship. In October 2022, Sea-Watch said the coast guard threatened to shoot down its plane used to monitor the sea for smugglers and migrant vessels.

Oil-rich Libya plunged into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime autocrat Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.

Human traffickers have benefited from the chaos in the North African country, smuggling migrants across Libya's vast borders, bringing them to the coast and packing them into ill-equipped rubber boats and other vessels that then set off on risky sea voyages.

Over recent months, rescue groups say Italy's hard-line government headed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has made it harder for humanitarian vessels to operate. They say the government often assigns their ships to ports further north after a single rescue, which the groups say limits their ability to save lives.



from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/n0xm9Cs
https://ift.tt/aYLxH0q

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Frenzy of tiger sharks feast on whale carcass off Australian coast

Drone footage captured by rangers shows dozens of tiger sharks feeding on the carcass of a humpback whale off the Australian coast .  The feasting involved some 50 tiger sharks scavenging a humpback whale that died of natural causes and was floating adrift in the Great Sandy Marine Park off Hervey Bay, which is about 180 miles north of Brisbane.  MONTANA MAN SENTENCED TO OVER 3 YEARS FOR TRAFFICKING EAGLE FEATHERS, PARTS The frenzy, captured on video by marine park rangers Sunday afternoon, prompted a warning from the Queensland Department of Environment and Science , reminding people to keep their distance from stranded or deceased marine animals.  "Where there are dead whales, there are likely sharks nearby and this vision clearly shows why this is the case," senior ranger Daniel Clifton told Australia’s news.com.au .  "The death of one whale, although sad, creates a life source for many other scavenging animals, including fish, sharks, and other marine like....
Post a Comment
Read more

How to … : An Informational Writing Contest for Teenagers

By The Learning Network via NYT The Learning Network https://ift.tt/YgGr3wN
Post a Comment
Read more

Married pilot snorts cocaine off topless woman in booze-fueled romp before flight: report

A British Airways pilot was suspended and eventually fired after he was reported for drinking and using cocaine the night before a return flight to London. Mike Beaton, a pilot with British Airways, had a night off after a flight to Johannesburg last month that he used to indulge in large amounts of alcohol and snort cocaine off the chest of a topless woman, according to a report from the New York Post. Beaton, a married father of one, according to the report, revealed his night of antics to a fellow crew member before a return flight to London, telling her that he had been a "very naughty boy" during an exchange of text messages. BRITISH AIRWAYS INVESTIGATING REPORTS STEWARDESS IS OFFERING SEXUAL SERVICES BETWEEN FLIGHTS The pilot reportedly told the flight attendant in the text exchange that he had met two local men, a Welsh woman and a "young Spanish bird" at a Johannesburg nightclub the night before, when they engaged in hours of drinking and eventually fou...
Post a Comment
Read more