Ocean Viking sends an email to ITMRCC and MTJRCC copying LYJRCC to request a Place of Safety:
” … MV Ocean Viking conducted 3 rescue operations, on the 19th, 20th and 21th of November, of a total of 215 people in distress. Please refer to MIR reports previously shared for more details.
All operations took place in international waters, in the Libyan SRR. All of them in the strictest adherence to the UNCLOS, SOLAS and SAR conventions
Currently, we have a total of 215 rescued people on board, including 20 women and 66 minors. 54 of the minors are unaccompanied.
There are four pregnant women, one is 8 months into pregnancy, and there are six children below the age of five.
Medical team is providing necessary treatment where needed. The medical team also provides treatment to an injured person suffering from a gun shot wound.
Some of the survivors speak of being held in places of captivity for varying periods of time, and present marks of physical violence.
On the 20th of November, JRCC Tripoli communicated Tripoli as a Place of Safety for the disembarkation of the survivors. Ocean Viking responded on the 21th of November that Libyan ports cannot be considered as a Place of Safety and requested an alternative POS to disembark survivors on-board. No response has been received so far.
According to international maritime conventions and regulations (IMO Resolution MSC.167 (78): in a case where the RCC responsible for the area where the survivors are recovered cannot be contacted, attempt to contact another RCC, or if that is impractical, any other Government authority that may be able to assist, while recognizing that responsibility still rests with the RCC of the area in which the survivors are recovered), Ocean Viking is now formally requesting Maltese and Italian maritime authorities, as the RCCs better able to assist, to take coordination and support finding a Place of Safety that fulfills the criteria set by Maritime and International Law to disembark safely and as soon as possible the 215 survivors on board the vessel.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation and assistance.
Please acknowledge receipt of this message.”
