Italy Sends Helicopters to Check on Migrant Ship
Italian authorities sent two helicopters Tuesday to meet a cargo ship
believed to be carrying hundreds of migrants after a passenger sent a
distress call earlier when the ship was off Greece.
The operation came two days after a Greek-operated ferry caught fire
between Greece and Italy with the loss of at least 11 lives, prompting a
two-day search and rescue effort.
Italian air force spokesman Capt. Stefano Testa said the
Moldovan-flagged Blue Sky M freighter was about 20 miles (30 kilometers)
off Santa Maria di Leuca, on the southernmost tip of the "heel" of
boot-shaped Italy.
Port officials in Bari said the teams were landing on the ship as a
precaution to see if there were any problems on board and ensure the
situation was under control.
Earlier, Greek authorities scrambled a navy frigate and helicopter after
a man who said he was a passenger called emergency services when the
ship was off Corfu, saying hundreds of migrants were on board and needed
water, food and blankets.
A Greek coast guard official said the helicopter located the ship within
Italian waters, and its captain said the vessel wasn't in distress and
didn't require assistance.
Italian authorities were notified, and the cargo ship continued on its
own toward Italy, the official said on condition of anonymity because he
wasn't authorized to speak on the record.
Tens of thousands of migrants and refugees, most fleeing conflict or poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, attempt to reach the European Union each year, most heading by sea to Italy or Greece.
On Sunday, the Norman Atlantic passenger ferry caught fire in the same
area. Authorities rescued more than 400 people, and are still searching
for potential missing passengers from the vessel.
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