A 6-month-old baby is one of six migrants who died after the boat they were traveling in deflated and sank in the Mediterranean Sea, the Spanish rescue charity Proactiva Open Arms said Thursday.
The baby, named Joseph, was from Guinea and was making the dangerous journey to Europe from Libya with his mother, the nongovernmental organization said.
Joseph was one of 111 migrants rescued by an Open Arms ship on Wednesday. He died hours later before he could be taken to Malta for medical attention, according to the rescue group. The organization did not disclose the cause of death.
Five bodies were recovered during the rescue operation. Open Arms said a 3-month-old baby girl, her mother and a 25-year-old man with serious heart trouble were flown to Malta for urgent medical attention.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says at least 796 people have died this year trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, 257 refugees were rescued in separate operations, according to Open Arms. Thirteen other migrants died, including another child whose age is not known.
