NICOSIA, Cyprus // About 228 migrants, apparently refugees from Syria, have been rescued after their damaged ship drifted for hours in rough seas off Cyprus’ northern coast, an official said on Sunday.
Hasan Tacoy, transport minister of the Turkish Cypriot breakaway state in Cyprus’s north, said the migrants, including 25 children, have received medical check-ups and are now housed in a sports hall in the coastal town of Girne.
Apart from sea sickness during their 14-hour ordeal, the migrants are in good health, Mr Tacoy said. Authorities are checking the identities of the migrants, who say they are Syrian and want to go to Italy.
Meanwhile, the Italian coast guard rescued nearly 600 migrants in Libyan waters in five operations in recent days, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa. The operations were carried out after Italian authorities received distress calls via satellite phones from the migrants’ boats.
More than 150,000 migrants have arrived in Italy after being rescued at sea in unseaworthy boats as they risk their lives to flee war and conflict in the Middle East and Africa.
Regarding the Cyprus rescue, Mr Tacoy said authorities received a distress call from the Tanzanian-flagged cargo ship Haj Zaher late on Saturday, about 10 kilometres off the coast. The ship had set sail from the Turkish port of Mersin, but the migrants apparently boarded it in open waters from small boats.
Strong winds and rough seas prevented coast guard vessels from approaching the ship, which was stranded after experiencing mechanical problems. The crew then abandoned the vessel, according to the migrants. The Haj Zaher then drifted to within 300 metres from shore where another vessel towed it to the port of Girne, also known as Kyrenia in Greek.
Mr Tacoy said authorities were searching for another vessel on which the crew may have gotten away.
* Associated Press
