Ocean Viking stays to the side. The Italian authorities decided to immobilize the boat belonging to the humanitarian NGO SOS Méditerranée in the port of Civitavecchia, north of Rome (Italy), after having just brought 57 migrants rescued from the sea ashore.
The decision was made on Tuesday, July 11th. Italian authorities have decommissioned the humanitarian NGO’s ship Ocean Viking SOS MediterraneanThe ship had just disembarked 57 migrants rescued from the sea and is currently docked in the port of Civitavecchia north of Rome.
This administrative measure by the Italian Coast Guard has “an indefinite duration” as the inspection to which the ship was subjected revealed that “a very limited number of technical and administrative deficiencies”, says the press release of SOS Méditerranée, which was circulated on social networks. When asked about the reasons for this immobilization, the Italian coastguards did not immediately respond, according to AFP information from Ouest-France.
A problem with the life rafts?
The authorities have identified a problem with the life raft. “We have 14 rafts in total today and the inspectors who came to us have asked for 14 people to be certified to use these liferafts in case the ship is abandoned,” said Sophie Beau, director and co-founder of SOS Méditerranée Le Parisien.
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A previous inspection of the Ocean Viking In 2020, 14 lifeboats were deployed, a figure calculated on the basis of the number of people rescued, not the size of the crew. However, the last inspection required one specialized operator per lifeboat, i.e. 14 people, so the presence of a single specialized operator was no longer sufficient.