Between October 8 and 9, a series of rescue operations in the Central Mediterranean saved hundreds of migrants, all of whom had embarked from Libya. They were disembarked on the Italian island of Lampedusa.

During the night of October 8, two patrol boats of the Lampedusa Coast Guard rescued 64 people (including one minor) near the islet of Lampione about ten nautical miles northwest of Lampedusa. “The area is characterized by steep cliffs and reefs, making any approach extremely difficult especially at night,” the Coast Guard said. Despite these challenging conditions, it affirmed that its teams “successfully accomplished the rescue mission, guaranteeing the safety of all persons present.”

The migrants stated they departed Libya on October 8, and were rescued around 3 a.m. the next day, with disembarkation completed before dawn. No serious injuries or health emergencies were reported.

That same day, 216 additional migrants disembarked in Lampedusa after being rescued from three different boats off the island’s coast. These vessels had set sail from Zouara, Tajura, and Abu Kammash in Libya. After initial screening, all individuals were taken to the reception center at Contrada Imbriacola.

Meanwhile, the NGO RESQSHIP’s vessel Nadir conducted two rescue operations on October 8, saving a total of 175 persons, in collaboration with the merchant ship IVY 1.

According to a post on RESQSHIP’s Facebook page,

In the first operation they rescued 75 people including six women and one little girl from an overcrowded wooden boat. In the second, they saved 100 men from another boat in the same area. Both vessels had departed Libya three days earlier.

Due to adverse weather waves of multiple meters Nadir requested assistance from IVY 1, which had been nearby. According to RESQSHIP’s statement, IVY 1 “responded to our alarm, offering the people in difficulty shelter from the wind and waves, two meters high, while waiting for the arrival of our crew.” The Coast Guard later transferred all 175 rescued persons from IVY 1 and disembarked them in Lampedusa.