NGO rescues more than 270 people in central Mediterraean in Christmas operation

Sea-Watch 3 helped two inflatables that had run into trouble in the early hours of Christmas Day

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Photo: @seawatch_intl/Twitter

By AFP

Published: Sat 25 Dec 2021, 5:45 PM

A German NGO said Saturday that one of its migrant rescue ships has picked up more than 270 people from the central Mediterranean Sea in three operations since Friday.

Sea Watch said on its Twitter account that its ship, Sea-Watch 3, helped two inflatables that had run into trouble in the early hours of Christmas Day.

The two dinghies were carrying around 100 and 80 people respectively and were rescued around 59 nautical miles (109 kilometres) off the coast of Libya, a spokesman told AFP.

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Sea Watch said its team was now looking after around 270 people in all, after picking up 93 people in a wooden boat in international waters south of the Italian island of Lampedusa on Friday morning.

Sea-Watch 3 set out on its “Christmas rescue operation” on Thursday evening.

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The rescue ship has been patrolling the sea off the Libyan coast since November 2017 and helping any vessels in distress.

AFP

Published: Sat 25 Dec 2021, 5:45 PM

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