Charity vessel rescues almost 600 migrants off Italy

FILE PHOTO: A person disembarks the Geo Barents rescue ship, operated by Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), in Bari, Italy March 26, 2023. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi/File Photo

ROME (Reuters) - A vessel operated by the charity Doctors without Borders (MSF) rescued nearly 600 migrants sailing on an overcrowded boat which was in distress off the island of Sicily on Saturday, the group said on Twitter.

"After three hours of operation, the 599 survivors, including women and children, are now safely aboard ... and being cared for by the medical team," MSF tweeted, saying its vessel the Geo Barents had been conducting training activities when it was called in to undertake the rescue.