Rescued 228 people from drowning in the Mediterranean in 24 hours

The organization "SOS Mediterranean" announced that its ship "Ocean Viking" carried out in less than 24 hours four relief operations, during which it rescued 228 people, including 51 minors, who were trying to reach Europe on small boats.

A statement by the Marseille-based NGO said that the first operation was carried out on Saturday afternoon in the Maltese search and rescue area, during which 93 people were rescued on board a wooden boat that was overloaded.

And on Saturday night, the organization rescued 88 people, including a baby, who were on another wooden boat that was also overloaded, in the Libyan search and rescue area.

On Sunday morning, the Ocean Viking ship used by the organization in cooperation with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies rescued a wooden boat that was threatened with sinking in the Maltese region, with 22 people on board.

Also on Sunday morning, SOS Mediterranean teams in the Maltese region carried out a fourth rescue operation for 25 people who were aboard a fiberglass boat that had encountered difficulties in international waters.

The Colibri II aircraft of the non-governmental organization Pilot Volunteer, which assists rescue operations through aerial monitoring, notified the ship about the boat.

And 49 out of 51 minors who were rescued were unaccompanied, according to the organization's statement.

The central sector of the Mediterranean is considered the most dangerous irregular migration line in the world, according to the International Organization for Migration.

According to the estimates of this UN organization, the number of people who have died or gone missing in this sector has exceeded 17,000, including 2,047 this year.

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