리비아 해안서 난민 4천500여명 구조

19일(현지시간) 리비아 해안 근처 바다에서 4천500명이 넘 는 난민들이 21차례의 구조 작업을 통해 구출됐다고 이탈리아 해안경비대가 밝혔다.

이는 바다가 잠잠해 지중해를 바다로 건너려는 난민들이 많았기 때문이다.

(Yonhap)

구조 작업에 참여한 배들 중에는 국경없는 의사회(MSF)의 '부르봉 아르고스'가 포함돼 있었는데, 이 배는 800명이 넘는 사람들을 구출했다고 AFP에 말했다. 구출된 사람들은 구조된 나머지 사람들과 함께 이탈리아로 안전하게 옮겨질 것으로 예상된 다.

MSF의 수색구조작업 비상조정관인 사이먼 버로스는 아침에 해가 뜨기 전에 목조 낚싯배 2대와 고무 구명정 2대를 구조했으며 구출된 사람들 중에는 에리트레아, 나 이지리아, 소말리아, 리비아, 시리아, 서아프리카 출신이 있다고 전했다.

21차례의 구조 작업은 리비아 해안에서 30∼40해리 (56∼74km) 떨어진 곳에서 이뤄졌으며, 구조대원들은 9대의 배와 12대의 구명정에 타고 있던 사람들을 구했다.

여성 1명의 시신도 발견됐다. (연합)

Over 4,500 migrants rescued off Libya in one day

Twenty-one rescue operations Saturday picked up more than 4,500 people off the Libyan coast, according to the Italian coastguard, as calm seas sparked a flurry of attempts at the perilous Mediterranean boat crossing.

Among those taking part was Doctors Without Borders ship Bourbon Argos, which told AFP it had rescued more than 800 people, who were expected to be brought to safety in Italy along with the rest of those saved.

“We started before first light this morning with our first rescue. We rescued two wooden fishing boats and two rubber dinghies,” said Simon Burroughs, emergency coordinator for search-and-rescue missions by the medical group -- commonly known by its French initials MSF.

Burroughs said those rescued included Eritreans, Nigerians, Somalis, Libyans, Syrians and west Africans.

The 21 operations took place between 30 and 40 nautical miles off the Libyan coast, and saw rescue workers pluck people from nine boats and 12 dinghies. The body of a woman was also recovered.

The mass effort was carried out by an Italian military ship, the MSF’s Bourbon Argos, the MAOS search and rescue Phoenix, a Croatian vessel operating under EU border agency Frontex, two vessels operating within the Eunavfor Med mission -- one British, one German -- and the Italian coastguard.

In videos sent to AFP by MSF, hundreds of people in brightly coloured clothes could be seen sprawled out on the Argos, a nearly 70-metre-long Luxembourg-flagged ship which typically carries around 700 people.

“It’s quite a big boat, but at the moment every inch of deck space is covered. People are extremely relieved to be off of their sinking boats,”
Burroughs said.

“We’ve had about a week of bad weather that stopped any kind of rescue operations, but last night and this morning weather changed,” he said, with crying children heard in the background.

“There are multiple nationalities... Thankfully, everyone is in good health,” said MSF spokesman Sami al-Subaihi, who is seen aboard the ship in the video.

Launched in May, the Argos has been handling large rescue missions due to the growing waves of people seeking refuge in Europe.

“It’s a large operation, but unfortunately it’s becoming quite a typical operation... Our last rescue was over 1,000 people,” Burroughs said.

The Bourbon Argos has a staff of 26 people on board, including medical specialists.

According to Yazan al-Saadi, MSF’s regional communications officer in Beirut, the three MSF search-and-rescue vessels are equipped to treat migrants for various medical issues.

On Friday, 102 migrants were rescued in the Mediterranean by Libyan authorities, and seven other bodies were recovered. The Italian coastguard said it coordinated the rescue of a total of 1,013 migrants.

Another 124 people were detained by Libyan coastguard officials Friday as they were preparing to cross to Europe.

The leader of Italy’s anti-immigrant Northern League party, Matteo Salvini, said the high number of arrivals showed the rescue ops were encouraging crossings and corrupt practices.

“Yet more business in sight for the cooperatives, more ‘kindness’ from the(political) left. The invasion continues,” he said on Twitter. (AFP)