Banksy-Funded Boat 'Reaching State Of Emergency' After Rescuing More Than 200 People
Crew on board a rescue boat funded by British street artist Banksy have said they are “reaching a state of emergency” as they shelter more than 200 people off the coast of Libya.
In a series of tweets posted through their official account, a spokesperson for the Louise Michel also said European authorities had ignored their calls for “immediate assistance”, with the boat so overcrowded it’s now unable to manoeuvre.
A crew of just 10 have rescued 219 people in recent days, with the majority crammed onto the 30m boat and 33 on a life raft. One person has died, and others on board suffered fuel burns and extreme trauma after spending days at sea.
We repeat, #LouiseMichel is unable to safely move and nobody is coming to our aid. The people rescued have experienced extreme trauma, it's time for them to be brought to a #PlaceOfSafety. We need immediate assistance.
— LouiseMichel (@MVLouiseMichel) August 29, 2020
#LouiseMichel is unable to move, she is no longer the master of her manoeuver, due to her overcrowded deck and a liferaft deployed at her side, but above all due to Europe ignoring our emergency calls for immediate assistance. The responsible authorities remain unresponsive.
— LouiseMichel (@MVLouiseMichel) August 29, 2020
The vessel set off in secret on August 18 from Valencia, on the east coast of Spain, and has remained in the central Mediterranean since.
On Thursday the Louise Michel rescued 89 people, including 14 women and four children, from a rubber dinghy in distress, and on Friday responded to a distress call from Moonbird, which monitors migrant boats in the central Mediterranean.
“Louise Michel proceeded at full possible speed & handed out life vests to 130 people to secure the situation,” a spokesperson tweeted after the rescue.
But hours later it became clear that the boat was struggling to cope without assistance from the authorities.
