The Ocean Viking ship of the NGO SOS Mediterranée is sailing towards Ancona with 336 shipwrecked migrants on board, including families and unaccompanied minors: the vessel has passed San Benedetto del Tronto but, given the non-optimal sea conditions, the landing at the quay 19th of the port of call is expected around 6pm. The ship should arrive off the port around 5pm and a pilot boat will escort it to the entrance towards the pier and for docking, operations lasting about an hour.
This is the latest information on the path of the Ocean Viking, author of four rescues including, off the coast of Libya on March 13, when 25 survivors of a shipwreck that cost the lives of 60 people, including a child, were welcomed on board.
336 castaways will disembark from the vessel in Ancona compared to the 359 who were previously on board, of which 23 transhipped in Catania in recent days.
For the Doric port, this is the highest number of migrants arriving by ship, after the previous record of 199 in July 2023. The Prefecture will coordinate the disembarkation and reception procedures which will take place together with the institutions, rescue associations and entities involved: the confirmation of the number of minors accompanied on board the Ocean Viking which during the voyage had reached 43 but some may have been disembarked.
After docking, the assistance and recognition procedures, functional to relocation to Italy, will be concentrated inside the Palaindoor sports hall in Ancona.
Unaccompanied minors will be welcomed in Marche facilities while adults and minors accompanied by families will be transferred to Lazio, Tuscany and Puglia.
The operations could however last many hours, given the high number of people to be identified and assisted.
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