At least 60 migrants have died after a rubber dinghy ran into trouble in the Mediterranean Sea, according to survivors.
The 25 survivors were picked up by the Ocean Viking, a vessel operated by the humanitarian group SOS Méditerranée.
They told their rescuers that they had set off from Zawiya on the Libyan coast seven days before being rescued.
The engine of the dinghy broke down after three days, leaving the boat adrift without food or water.
The survivors said that the victims included women and at least one child.
SOS Méditerranée said the Ocean Viking team had spotted the dinghy with binoculars on Wednesday and had staged a medical evacuation in co-operation with Italian coast guards.
It said the survivors were “in very weak health condition” and were all under medical care.
Two of them, who were unconscious and in critical condition, had been flown to Sicily by helicopter for further treatment, the group added.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said last week that 2023 was the deadliest year for migrants since records began a decade ago, with at least 8,565 people dying on migration routes worldwide.
The UN agency said the figure was 20% up on the year before.
Its report found that the Mediterranean crossing continued to be the most dangerous journey, with at least 3,129 deaths and disappearances during 2023 – the highest toll since 2017.
