LIMASSOL, Cyprus, Sept. 25 (UPI) —
About 300 people, believed to be Syrian refugees, were rescued after their boat encountered bad weather off the coast of Cyprus.
The migrants, mostly women and children, were brought aboard the cruise ship Salamis Filoxenia, which traveled to their aid after the Cypriot Defense Ministry ordered a large-scale rescue operation that involved aircraft and all available maritime vessels.
The cruise ship responded to a radio distress signal sent by the small fishing boat when it was 55 nautical miles (62 miles) south of the Cyprian town of Paphos. The cruise ship traveled to the port of Limassol, Cyprus.
It was quite a difficult operation," Kikis Vasiliou, director of Salamis Cruises said. "All the passengers are safe.”
Mediterranean countries have become destinations for undocumented migrants, notably from Libya and from Middle Eastern countries, seeking asylum in Europe. The migrants often travel in unseaworthy and overcrowded boats, and rescue efforts are not uncommon.
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