AMN/ WEB DESK
Italian coastguard vessels have rescued 539 migrants from a fishing boat drifting off the island of Lampedusa. The island’s Mayor Toto Martello described the rescue as one of the biggest landings in recent times. Women and children were among those on board. Some of the migrants who had been travelling across the Mediterranean Sea from Libya reportedly displayed signs of violence. Italian prosecutors have opened an inquiry into the violent incident .
Two coastguard vessels and a customs boat from Italy’s financial crimes police, the Guardia di Finanza, helped transport the migrants to Lampedusa.