The Ocean Viking, the sea rescue vessel of SOS Méditerranée, rescued 70 migrants on Sunday from a deflated inflatable boat off the coast of Libya, the NGO announced.
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After a moment of "
panic
" at the approach of a Libyan patrol boat, all the passengers, including 17 unaccompanied minors, were taken care of by the ambulance ship, co-chartered with the International Federation of Red Cross Societies and of the Red Crescent (IFRC).
In photos posted on Twitter by SOS Méditerranée, headquartered in Marseille, the 70 migrants, mostly men, were crammed into a deflated gray boat at the front, most without life jackets or with makeshift devices.
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The central Mediterranean is the most dangerous migration route in the world, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The UN agency estimates the number of dead and missing since 2014 at more than 23,500, including 2,048 last year.