Ocean Viking, the ship chartered by SOS Mediterraneanrescued over two days 438 migrants who were in danger in international waters, off Libya and Tunisia, the France-based non-governmental organization announced yesterday.

Yesterday morning SOS Méditerranée pointed out that on Thursday it rescued “272 people” on board three ships, including “32 unaccompanied minors, nine infants and five disabled people”, coming from 23 countries.

A short time later, he added that he rescued another 166 people after “we gathered several ships in trouble and removed the people on board, in coordination with the Italian Coast Guard in the search and rescue zone between Tunisia and Lampedusa.”

A total of “438 rescued people are on board” at the moment, the NGO pointed out, clarifying that the Ocean Viking “is heading to Genoa (in northern Italy) the remote, safe port designated by the Italian authorities for the disembarkation of the rescued”.

THE central Mediterranean it is considered the most dangerous migration route worldwide, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The UN agency estimates that since the beginning of the year there are 2,013 missing migrants in the central Mediterranean, compared to 1,417 in all of 2022.

The Ocean Viking it had been seized for 10 days in July by Italian authorities, citing security issues on board, but was allowed to return to sea on 21 July.