The Laura Bassi ocean-going ship used for scientific activity and logistical support for Italian Antarctic exploration yesterday rescued 92 migrants in the Ionian Sea, including 49 men, 20 women and 23 children.
This was announced by the website of the Slovenian minority newspaper of Trieste
Primorski dnevnik,
specifying that the ship, commanded by Captain Franco Sedmak, had left Trieste a week ago and was en route in the Ionian Sea direct to New Zealand, and from there to Antarctica for a research mission.
The Greek port information site
Voicels.gr
is updating on the rescue operations that took place off Pylos.
The migrants, mainly from Afghanistan, were crammed onto a 15-metre sailboat which was navigating invisibly with difficulty due to the rough seas and risked sinking.
Precisely because of the sea conditions, the rescue operations were laborious and took over four hours.
The migrants were picked up and taken aboard the icebreaker: first the women and children, then the men.
According to the newspaper, the migrants are in good health and have been refreshed with blankets, towels, drinks and food.
All were landed in the port of Kalamata (Greece).