Italy's Corpo delle Capitanerie di porto – Guardia Costiera/Coastguard conducted a successful rescue operation, saving a total of 177 people (150 passengers + 27 crew) from a commute ferryboat suffering a fire while en route from Lampedusa Island to Porto Empedocle (Sicily Island).
Lampedusa is the largest of the three Pelagie Islands, followed by Lampione and Linosa.
Notably, among the passengers were 83 migrants who were in the process of being transferred from Lampedusa, as confirmed by a statement from the coast guard.
Following the rescue operation, all passengers were safely transferred to a coastguard vessel. They are currently en route to Porto Empedocle, with the exception of three individuals who are returning to Lampedusa.
To manage the emergency, the Italian coastguard deployed water jets to cool down the sections of the ferry that were affected by the fire, which had ignited in the engine room late on Friday night, September 29th.