Spanish rescue ship evacuates migrants to Malta

Two sick women, one with a brain tumour, the other with pneumonia, along with their relatives were transferred to Malta. Still, 151 people remain on board as the NGO seeks authorisation to disembark them in a European port after Italy and Malta rejected them.

Mediterranean Sea: A Spanish aid group Open Arms on Monday said that it evacuated nine people from its humanitarian boat as it continued stuck in the Mediterranean Sea waiting for authorisation to disembark the remaining migrants it rescued.

Open Arms said that two sick women, one with a brain tumour, the other with pneumonia, along with their relatives were transferred to Malta.

Still, 151 people remain on board as the NGO seeks authorisation to disembark them in a European port after Italy and Malta rejected them.On August 2, the first group of 123 people was rescued and brought aboard the Open Arms ship.The Open Arms rescued another 39 migrants on Saturday.Maltese government agreed to take them saying that the rescue happened in its search-and-rescue area.But the aid group's founder Oscar Camps declined the offer, saying a safe port needed to be found for all the rescued passengers.The organisation's eponymous rescue ship, Open Arms, is currently in international waters between the Italian island of Lampedusa and the archipelago nation of Malta.