ABOARD THE GOLFO AZZURRO/ROME: A four day-old baby was one of over 480 migrants rescued by humanitarian ships on Saturday during search and rescue operations in the central Mediterranean Sea.
The baby was traveling on one of two rubber boats carrying over 200 migrants from North and Central Africa, Sri Lanka and Yemen and seen drifting some 22 nautical miles north of the Libyan town of Sabratha, the most frequently used departure point currently used by people smugglers in Libya.
The operation was carried out by Spanish NGO Proactiva Open arms and lasted three hours. Migrants were transferred into the former fishing trawler Golfo Azzurro, expected to reach the Sicilian port town of Augusta on Sunday afternoon.
The other rescued migrants, on board two other rubber boats, were rescued by staff on the supply vessel Vos Prudence, a spokesperson for the Coast Guard told Reuters.
Those migrants were due to reach Italy on Monday, but the destination is still unknown, the Coast Guard added.
“A week ago, I collected a dead body from the Mediterranean for the first time, and (Saturday) I carried a new life,” Daniel Calvelo, the 26 year-old who transferred the baby from the raft into the rescue boat, told Reuters.
The baby’s mother, a 29-year old Nigerian woman, and her husband, a 34-year old worker from Ghana, were also rescued. They had lived in Libya for over two years and decided to leave for Europe after they had the baby.
“We want to go to France or Germany, there is a future for our family there,” Richard Ohene, the father, told Reuters.
Italy has become the main arrival point in Europe for people fleeing persecution and poverty in Africa, most of them crossing the Mediterranean from lawless Libya in search of a better life.
Nearly 600 migrants have died so far this year trying to reach Italy from North Africa, the International Migration Organization (IOM) estimates. Some 4,600 people are thought to have died last year.
In all, 181,000 migrants reached Italy in 2016, about half of the total who arrived in the European Union by sea. (Reporting by Yannis Behrakis; Additional reporting)
4-day baby rescued in the Mediterranean by humanitarian ship
4-day baby rescued in the Mediterranean by humanitarian ship
Severe floods in southeast Brazil kill at least 25 and force hundreds to evacuate
- Minas Gerais’ fire department says it is searching for 43 people who went missing since late Monday
- Officials have warned residents to stay away from areas that could be prone to mudslides
JUIZ DE FOR A, Brazil: Severe floods in southeastern Brazil have killed at least 25 people and left dozens missing in the state of Minas Gerais, officials said Tuesday. Meteorologists warned more rain is expected in the region in the next few days.
The torrential rains began Monday in the cities of Juiz de Fora and Uba, about 310 kilometers (192 miles) north of Rio de Janeiro, forcing about 440 residents to evacuate their homes.
Minas Gerais’ fire department says it is searching for 43 people who went missing since late Monday. A video shared by the department showed flooded streets in Juiz de Fora and Uba, where a river veered off its course.
Officials have warned residents to stay away from areas that could be prone to mudslides.
Juiz de Fora is a city of 560,000 residents, while neighboring Uba has 107,000, according to Brazil’s statistics agency.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on his social media channels that security forces are working on the rescue and providing immediate assistance to the population affected by the rain.
Brazil’s meteorology institute Inmet said in a statement that more rain is forecast for the region, which lies close to hills, valleys and slopes.
Juiz de Fora City Hall said in a statement the city experienced double the rain expected for February. Mayor Margarida Salomão said earlier at least 20 landslides were reported.
Firefighter Demetrius Bastos Goulart, 47, said rescue efforts will be slow and lengthy. “It is a high volume (of mud) in the landslides, we have to work with a lot of precision to avoid any damage to potential victims,” Goulard told The Associated Press.
