Survivors in Lampedusa Treated After Gas Explosion
One of the latest sea rescues of stricken migrants involved a boat carrying 69 people, many of whom had endured a two-day crossing with untreated severe burns. The injuries were caused by a gas explosion that killed several would-be migrants at a camp in Libya. A 25-year-old woman was found dead on arrival on April 17 at Lampedusa, off the coast of southern Italy, where the injured received medical treatment.
Other migrants were held in a reception facility on the island. Some of those in critical condition were later transferred to Sicily, an hour away by helicopter.
A spokeswoman for the UNHCR, Barbara Molinario, said: “They told us that traffickers held them before placing them on boats, and a gas cylinder exploded, killing several people and injuring many others. The traffickers would not allow them to leave and reach the hospital, so they didn’t get treatment for few days and then they were put on a rubber dinghy.” Credit: YouTube/United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
