Rescue of dozens of migrants after fire erupts aboard an Italian ferry

Italian authorities announced on Saturday the rescue of more than 100 passengers, including migrants, from a ferry sailing from the island of Lampedusa to Sicily after a fire broke out in the engine room. 

The Coast Guard stated that the ferry, which was sailing from Lampedusa to Porto Empedocle in southern Sicily, had 177 people on board, including 27 crew members and 83 migrants. 

All ferry passengers were evacuated using boats heading towards Sicily or Lampedusa, according to the Coast Guard. 

More than 130,000 migrants have arrived on the shores of Italy this year, double the number from the previous year, according to figures from the Ministry of Interior. 

The ferry, which is now deemed unfit for operation, will be towed to the port along with its crew, as reported by the Coast Guard. 

Lampedusa has received thousands of migrants this month, prompting the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to call for the intervention of the European Commission and the solidarity of European Union member states. 

The island of Lampedusa is located less than 150 kilometers from the Tunisian coast and serves as one of the first stops for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea in hopes of reaching Europe. 

AFP