Migrants saved in Libyan waters
2007-10-14 20:02
Madrid - A Spanish fishing boat saved about 50 sub-Saharan migrants floating in a small vessel off the coast of Libya, diplomats said on Sunday.
Ambassadors from Spain and Portugal - where the fishing boat was registered - were trying on Sunday to get Libya's agreement to allow the migrants to disembark there, the source said.
A shipowner, Antonio Lopez said: "There were three children between the ages of two and four and five women, all crying and being sick."
He said he reached the migrants in the nick of time on Saturday as the situation on their boat was becoming critical.
In June, another Spanish fishing boat saved 25 African migrants in Libyan waters.
Libyan authorities at first refused to let them disembark, but eventually gave them the green light.
- SAPA