Doctors Without Borders said the rescue ship Geo Barents, a humanitarian NGO, managed to rescue 71 people, including a four-month-old baby, after the ship sank off the coast of Libya yesterday.

And she pointed out that “a pregnant woman was transferred on board the ship, but desperate attempts to save her from death were unsuccessful.” According to information received from survivors, more than 22 people are still missing.

The head of the organization’s medical team, Stephanie Hofstetter, stressed that “survivors are malnourished, many of them have swallowed large amounts of sea water, and many of them suffer from hypothermia after spending long hours in the water”, noting that “at least 10 people, mostly women, have burns and need additional treatment.”

The Central Mediterranean is considered the most dangerous migration route in the world, and since the beginning of the year, about 27,000 people have crossed to Italy by sea from the coast of North Africa, compared to less than 20,000 people during the same period in 2021. according to the Italian Ministry of the Interior.