About 1.100 migrants who had left the coast of Libya were rescued at sea on Wednesday, including a woman who gave birth on the inflatable boat she was boarding as she tried to reach Europe, according to the Italian Coast Guard and an NGO.
The Italian Coast Guard said in a statement that it had rescued migrants aboard ten inflatables and a small wooden boat. The rescue operation involved a naval vessel, an Italian Navy ship and ships of non-governmental organizations.
The NGO Mission Lifeline for its part reported via Twitter that a woman gave birth on an inflatable.
About 114.600 migrants have arrived in Italy since the beginning of the year, a number down 32% from the same period in 2016.
(With information from RES-ICU)