Non-Intervention From Italian And Maltese Coast Guard Resulted In Dozens Of Refugees Drowning
[Mediterranean Sea] Disturbing phone calls have been released revealing the Italian Coast Guard refused to aid dozens of refugees in the Mediterranean Sea back on October 11th, 2013.
In a previously disclosed audio clip, Italian officials tell a caller from the doomed refugee vessel to "call Malta," which is a nation located between Sicily and the North African coast. Surprisingly enough, an Italian Navy patrol boat was nearby and could have lended assistance.
The distress call was released by Italian magazine L'Espresso. During the plea for help, a man who identified himself as Mohamed Jammo, a Syrian doctor, said his boat was taking on water and would sink soon.
"Please hurry. The boat is going down," Jammo repeated over and over.
A Coast Guard operator told the man to call Malta, saying, "You are near Malta. Call Malta directly very quickly, they are close."
Jammo next told the operator he had already called Malta but they told him the sinking boat was closer to Lampedusa, the largest island of the Italian Pelagie Islands in the Mediterranean Sea.
"We are dying, please," he said to the Italian Coast Guard in another call.
During the event, Libra, an Italian Navy patrol boat, was awaiting orders between 10 and 20 miles away.
Five hours later, after non-intervention by either Italy or Malta, the fishing boat capsized. Over 260 people were onboard the boat, including 60 children.
An official investigation in the sinking has yet to be launched, but some reports state that 34 refugees were confirmed to have drowned. Around 147 survivors were transported to Malta while 56 were taken to Italy.
The Prime Minister of Malta, Joseph Muscarat, made a statement after the tragedy.
"As things stand we are building a cemetery within our Mediterranean Sea," he said.
