CAPO PASSERO – A boat in distress carrying 400 migrants in the Mediterranean is awaiting rescue from the Italian Coast Guard, according to the sea rescue NGO Alarm Phone. 

 Alarm Phone first received a call from the vessel on Sunday when they confirmed that it had been adrift for two days since its departure from eastern Libya. 

 At that time, it was in the Maltese Search and Rescue Area (SAR), but the Maltese government did not make any attempt at rescuing the migrants aboard. 

 A merchant ship has since supplied the vessel with fuel and water, but neither governments have conducted a rescue since Alarm Phone first notified authorities of it. 

 Sea-Watch International, another sea rescue NGO, accused Malta of purposely avoiding the rescue of the ship on Monday. 

 “If the boat keeps moving, it might reach Italy and Malta does not have to accept the people,” the NGO tweeted. 

 Alarm Phone confirmed in a tweet, pressuring authorities to send rescue teams, that the migrants aboard the vessel reported “high waves and strong winds,” and that the hull of the boat is filled with water. 

 The ship is now in the Italian SAR Area, 170 miles southeast from Capo Passero, and a rescue operation from the Italian Coast Guard is underway. 

 In addition to the 400 migrants in the Mediterranean, over 1,000 migrants arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa, a major hub for migrants traveling from Africa, in the last 48 hours.