Captain Ditches Boat with 400 people on board

A boat carrying about 400 people, which departed from Tobruk in Libya, has been spotted adrift between Greece and Malta and is taking on water, according to support services.

German NGO Sea-Watch International has tweeted that those on board are in “imminent danger of death” and called on the EU to act. Alarm Phone, which received a call from the boat, has also tweeted its concerns. People on board are panicking and several require medical attention, including a child, a pregnant woman and someone with a physical disability.

The vessel is said to be out of fuel and its lower deck is full of water. The captain has left and there is “nobody who can steer the boat”, Alarm Phone said, adding that it had alerted the authorities. The boat is now in the Maltese Search and Rescue area.