Young girl rescued alone is sole survivor of shipwreck

(ANSA) - ROME, DEC 11 - A young girl, aged around 11, who was rescued off Lampedusa by the Trotamar migrant-rescue sailboat and taken to the Sicilian island early on Wednesday, is believed to be the only survivor of a migrant shipwreck.
    The boat on which she was travelling carried 45 passengers who had departed from Sfax, Tunisia, rescuers said.
    The young girl, who is believed to hail from Sierra Leone, said the vessel sank in a storm.
    She was rescued at sea by the sailboat operated by six crew members for the NGO Compass Collective, who were in the area for another operation, at 3:20 am on Wednesday.
    Rescuers said the young girl was wearing a life vest and was holding on to a life buoy.
    She reached Lampedusa at 6 am.
    Overall, 356 migrants landed on the Sicilian island overnight before the arrival of the young girl rescued by the Trotamar III.
    They were travelling on five boats, including one which was carrying 111 passengers, that were rescued by port authorities, finance police and Frontex officials.
    The first boat transported 111 people who hailed from Egypt, Eritrea, Pakistan, Syria, Sudan and Somalia, including 13 women and 11 minors.
    The others carried a minimum of 45 and a maximum of 87 passengers from Bangladesh, Syria, Morocco, Sudan and Iran.
    All passengers said they had departed from Libya. (ANSA).