Social Affairs

‘LÉ Niamh’ rescues 551 from boat in Mediterranean

Irish ship takes 394 men, 96 women and 71 children from barge 55kms off Libyan coast

A migrant child cries as he is brought on board the ‘LE Niamh’ on Wednesday during the rescue of more than 550 people from a barge off the coast of Libya. Photograph: Defence Forces

Lorna Siggins
Aine McMahon
Thu Aug 27 2015 - 07:52

The Naval Service patrol ship LE Niamh has rescued 551 people from a wooden barge off the Libyan coast and is en route to the Siclian port of Trapani.

The patrol ship was tasked by the Italian Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre to investigate the sighting of a possible migrant vessel on Wednesday, some 55 km north of the Libyan port of Zuwarah.

It deployed two rigid inflatable boats to investigate a vessel, described as a fishing boat, with about 700 people on board.

Two of the more than 70 migrant children rescued from a barge off the coast of Libya on Wednesday by the ‘LE Niamh’. Photograph: Defence Forces

A migrant child gives a peace sign after she is brought on board the ‘LE Niamh’ on Wednesday during the rescue of more than 550 people from a barge off the coast of Libya. Photograph: Defence Forces

The Italian MRCC tasked another four vessels to help the Naval patrol ship in the complex rescue.

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The LE Niamh took 394 men, 96 women and 71 children on the ship and gave food, water and medical assistance where required.

It brings to almost 2,500 the number of people rescued by the Irish ship over the past few months.

Also on Wednesday the Swedish ship Poseidon, which is working with the EU border control agency Frontex, found the bodies of about 50 migrants in the hold of a vessel off the coast of Libya.

During the operation around 430 migrants were saved.

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