The charity vessel Life Support rescued 57 migrants off the coast of Libya on Sunday after seven people died during the crossing, the humanitarian group Emergency said.
The survivors, originating from Somalia and Egypt, had departed from Zuwara at dawn on 16 August. Among those pulled from the water were five women and 29 unaccompanied minors. Two migrants remained in critical condition from suffocation, and nine others required medical attention. The rescue operation, overseen by mission leader Jonathan Nanì La Terra, concluded at 08:07 local time and was monitored by a Libyan coast guard patrol boat.
Emergency requested an urgent medical evacuation for the two critical patients and asked authorities to assign a nearby port of disembarkation. Italian authorities designated the port of Bari, where the Life Support is expected to arrive in the coming hours.