MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the organization, some rubber boats started to deflate as the rescue mission arrived.
UPDATE: After the rescue of 9 rubber boats & 1 small wooden boat, the #Argos now has 1139 #people resting on board. pic.twitter.com/M7IRv9ZcYh
— MSF Sea (@MSF_Sea) 23 июня 2016 г.
The MSF rescue mission in the Mediterranean Sea was launched in the aftermath of the April 19, 2015 tragedy, when a vessel used by smugglers capsized off the Libyan coast, killing an estimated 700 migrants. The Bourbon Argos has been conducting search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean since May that year.
Since 2015, Europe has faced a massive influx of migrants and refugees, with the latest data by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) indicating that over 214,00 migrants arrived in Europe so far in 2016. A total of 2,856 migrants are estimated to have been killed or gone missing in attempts to cross the Mediterranean Sea.
Imagine being at sea as your boat starts losing air. No one flees their home for a chance at a council flat! pic.twitter.com/qx3PofddTp
— MSF Sea (@MSF_Sea) 23 июня 2016 г.
