Doha: The Ocean Viking rescue ship, chartered by the non-governmental organization SOS Mediterranee, rescued 112 migrants in the Mediterranean Sea off the Libyan coast. The operation involved two separate rescues conducted by the vessel.
According to Qatar News Agency, the organization released a statement indicating that the ship initially assisted a fiberglass boat, rescuing 25 migrants, including three women. It further noted that the ship rescued an additional 87 migrants on a wooden boat, in coordination with Italian authorities on Sunday.
The statement highlighted that the rescued individuals were of varying nationalities. After the rescue operations, the Ocean Viking set course for Livorno in Tuscany, a port designated by Italian authorities, which is more than a thousand kilometers from the rescue site.
According to the latest figures issued by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 129 people have died in the Mediterranean Sea since the beginning of the year while attempting to reach Europe. In 2024, 2,333 migrants lost their lives, with the majority of these tragedies occurring in the central Mediterranean, known as one of the most perilous migration routes globally.