ROME, 12 November 2021, (TON): Italy has rescued 430 migrants, including 13 minors, from a fishing boat that ran aground in front of the Levante pier of the port of Pozzallo, in the southeast of Sicily.

A spokesman from the Italian Coast Guard told media that the boat came from Tunisia. Most of the migrants aboard, he added, were Tunisians, while some came from Sub-Saharan Africa.

The spokesman added “those were the youngest in the group, and they were not looking well at all, so our doctors are now treating them.”

Transshipment operations of refugees were carried out by the police and the Italian Coast Guard with inflatable boats and a tugboat. The operations ended at 2 a.m. Mayor of Pozzallo Roberto Ammatuna coordinated the rescue from the pier.

He said “it was not an easy task because the ship had been severely damaged by the hit, and the weather was getting worse. However, all the fishermen of Pozzallo and some young guys helped rescuers with small boats and dinghies so that everything could be done quickly.”