The Valletta authorities reportedly refuse to order a rescue operation. Emergency: “Available to intervene but from the Italian MRCC order to proceed towards the port”
Two small boats with about 30 people on board each were reported by Alarm Phone in the Sar Maltese area. “There Malta’s failure to assist puts 60 lives at risk“, says the NGO in contact with the two troubled groups. According to the non-governmental organization the Valletta authorities would refuse to order a rescue operation. “The weather is deteriorating rapidly. Relief is needed now.” The first boat reported by Alarm Phone, left without fuel, would have left Cyrenaica last Saturday.
“Sea Bird 2 located it and signaled it to a freighter which agreed to go there, but the Maltese MRCC ordered it to proceed towards its route”, they say from the Emergency Life Support, which completed the rescue of 55 people on Saturday and is heading to the assigned port of Marina di Carrara. The humanitarian ship reported its own to the Italian MRCC willingness to intervene. “We have received the answer to proceed towards the assigned port of Marina di Carrara without changing route”, they say from the NGO, explaining that they have also signaled their availability to the Maltese MRCC without receiving an answer.
“We ask that these people be assisted as soon as possible and we renew our availability to the Italian and Maltese MRCC to intervene: we cannot let yet another avoidable tragedy unfold in this stretch of sea”, says Emanuele Nannini, head of mission of Life Support.
Source-www.adnkronos.com