MIGRANTS with severe burns received treatment at a medical center on the Italian island of Lampedusa on Friday (April 17), hours after they were rescued at sea by the Italian coastguard.
A dinghy carrying between 60-70 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa was intercepted by the coastguard who found many of the people on board suffering from severe burns, including young children.
One 25-year-old woman had died of her injuries onboard.
“Certainly there are severe burns. At least ten of them are in critical condition. It is possible they might not survive, but we hope for the best,” Doctor Domenico Bartolo, chief of health services onLampedusa said.
The influx of migrants and refugees into Italy has not abated with new boats arriving on a daily basis. In one week, over 13,000 people have been rescued at sea.
Those who survived Friday’s ordeal were in too much shock to talk about it.
“It is impossible to explain the accident,” Mihreteab, said.
“After the accident their clothes were all out (burnt) by the fire, their bodies injured,” he added.
“But already the ladies were crying, as they’re burning they are crying. Then I was… I don’t know, I cannot describe, how can I describe… for me this is problem,” said another survivor,Teklabraham.
Migration experts said on Friday up to 30,000 people could perish in the Mediterranean in 2015 if the current rate of migration continues, a tenfold increase on the death toll last year.
The International Organization for Migration said 450 people had been killed attempting to make the treacherous crossing in the past week, describing it as “an extraordinary period of traffic”.
“I didn’t imagine, I didn’t think anything like that, I thought that I would be dead now,” said Solomon, recalling his near death experience on Friday. (Reuters)