Italian Navy rescues 100 migrants stranded in Mediterranean, 75 others taken to Malta

The Italian Navy rescued 100 migrants stranded in the Mediterranean on Thursday, as 75 other migrants, found clinging to a tuna pen, were taken to Malta, according to officials.

The navy said that it rescued “100 people, including 17 women and 23 minors,” AFP reports. Only a few of the migrants had a lifejacket. The boat’s engine had failed and the weather was worsening, leaving them “in imminent danger,” a Navy statement said.

It was not clear where the migrants will be taken following the rescue which happened about 90 nautical miles south of Lampedusa.

Malta’s Navy said earlier that it had rescued 75 migrants found clinging to a tuna pen while trying to make the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean.