
Another tragedy occurred overnight in the Mediterranean, where migrants from the coast of Africa continue to set sail by boat towards Italy.
Italian media reports that a boat carrying an 11-year-old girl was found on Wednesday morning in the open sea not far from Lampedusa. The girl, originally from Sierra Leone, was rescued by operators of the NGO Trotamar III, who then escorted her to shore.
According to the girl's testimony, the boat had set off on December 8 from Sfax, Tunisia, and sank due to a storm. Of the 45 people on board, only the girl survived. She was found at sea by the Compass Collective sailing ship, which was in the area on another rescue mission. The girl had managed to stay on the boat, while being helped by a life jacket.
Shortly before her arrival, 356 other migrants had been rescued from five boats. One of the boats had 111 people on board. The rescues were carried out by the coastguard, police units and Frontex.