Cruise ship rescues 345 refugees off coast of Cyprus

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/25/cruise-ship-rescues-refugees-cyprus

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A cruise ship has picked up hundreds of people, apparently refugees who fled Syria, who were stranded aboard a small boat off Cyprus.

The Cypriot defence ministry said the 345 people, including 52 children, would arrive at the country’s southern port of Limassol on Thursday evening and would then be taken to a reception centre near the capital, Nicosia, where they would be given shelter and medical attention.

It said their boat issued a distress call early on Thursday in bad weather and was located about 50 nautical miles off Cyprus’ south-west coastal town of Paphos. It had “most likely” set sail from Syria loaded with “civilian refugees”.

Salamis Cruise Lines managing director Kikis Vasiliou said the company received a request from Cypriot search and rescue authorities to assist in the rescue operation while the cruise ship was returning to Cyprus from the Greek islands.

He said the ship, with a crew of 230 and a passenger capacity of 800, would be able to give refugees blankets, medical care and food while taking them to Limassol.

Thousands of migrants fleeing conflicts in the Middle East and northern Africa attempt to cross the Mediterranean in rickety boats in search of safe havens in Europe, and hundreds have died at sea.