Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 28th of February 2021

Case name: 2021_28_02-CM379

Situation: 125 people called the Alarm Phone, 15 oft them lost their lives as a consequence of the delayed rescue mission by so-called Libyan Coastguard

Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded

Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean

Summary of the Case:

On 28th of January 2021 in the early morning the Alarm Phone received a distress call from a Libyan number. The caller stated that the boat with over hundred people was in serious distress due to deflating tubes. He said they had left only hours before from Zawiya and were around 8km from the coast and that they were lacking a satellite phone. Some minutes later we spoke again to each other. The travellers told to have children onboard, the situation is desperate and they want the Libyans to come. Shortly after, at 03.45h CET, we sent an email to all competent authorities as well as to the rescue NGO Sea-Watch. As we couldn’t reach the so-called Libyan Coastguard by phone we also called the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) in Rome to remind them onto their responsibility to ensure a rescue mission will start. At 06:18h CET we reconnected to the people on board. The caller told us that people went over board and urged to be rescued immediately. We informed all authorities about this call. 1,5 hours later the travellers weren’t rescued yet and reported to see a white ship, which we could indicate as a merchant vessel and informed all authorities about that. Only at 08:04h CET the so-called Libyan Coastguard confirmed to start a search and rescue mission, more than 4 hours after the first alert. At 09.10h CET we were informed by the so-called Libyan Coastguard that they will reach the boat in 30 minutes and at 11h CET they reported to have finished the mission and will return to the harbour. We couldn’t get more information.

Later we learned by a tweet of IOM Libya that at least 15 migrants drowned. We condemn those deaths as a consequence that fortress EUrope still exists.