Working Conditions Aboard the Froland

On March 13, 2023, Italian authorities brought ashore 17 survivors from a recent maritime tragedy involving migrants in the Mediterranean. These individuals, hailing from Bangladesh, were rescued after their small vessel capsized during treacherous weather conditions on March 12, off the coast of Libya. Tragically, 30 others are feared to have drowned as a result of the incident. This calamity follows a previous shipwreck on February 26, near Calabria, where at least 81 lives were lost. Alarm Phone, an organization that responds to migrant distress calls, criticized Italy for its delayed Coastguard intervention, asserting that repeated warnings were issued on March 11 regarding the vulnerable vessel. According to their statement, "Clearly, the Italian authorities were trying to avoid that the people would be brought to Italy, delaying intervention." They suggested that the goal was to allow the Libyan Coastguard to arrive and forcibly return the migrants to Libya. Italy's Coastguard clarified that the vessel capsized outside of the Italian Search and Rescue (SAR) area—approximately 110 miles northwest of Benghazi. Furthermore, communications shared by the German charity Sea-Watch revealed that a Libyan duty officer informed that at the time, there were no available patrol boats to assist from Benghazi. In response, Rome requested nearby merchant ships to participate in rescue operations. The migrant vessel capsized during an attempt to transfer occupants to the cargo ship 'Froland' on the morning of March 12. The recent increase in migrant shipwrecks has intensified scrutiny over the Italian government's maritime rescue capacity, particularly as the right-wing administration, which came into power last October, pledged to limit migrant arrivals. On March 13, Italy's government also implicated the Russian mercenary group Wagner in the spike of crossing attempts, linking these activities to Moscow's broader retaliatory strategies against nations supporting Ukraine. For additional details and images, visit: https://www.marinelink.com/news/survivors-libya-shipwreck-brought-ashore-503597

A maritime tragedy unfolded on March 12, 2023, as approximately 30 migrants went missing following a shipwreck near the coast of Libya. Fortunately, the cargo vessel 'Froland' successfully rescued 17 individuals from a distressed boat that had been reported drifting 100 kilometers offshore. The alarm was raised by the NGO Alarm Phone on March 11, which notified the Rome Relief Coordination Center about the vessel in peril. Their alert also reached the Maltese and Libyan authorities, who are responsible for search and rescue (SAR) operations in the region. However, Libyan officials indicated a shortage of available rescue boats and sought assistance from Rome, prompting the dispatch of three additional merchant vessels to the scene. At dawn on March 12, the 'Froland' initiated its rescue efforts, but the migrant boat capsized during the process. Despite the challenges, the vessel successfully brought aboard 17 survivors before proceeding to Malta to deliver two people requiring urgent medical care. Ongoing search efforts are supported by two Frontex aircraft as other ships continue to scour the area for the missing. This incident comes on the heels of a devastating accident off Calabria just two weeks prior, where a boat carrying around 180 migrants sank, resulting in 79 fatalities and continuing recovery efforts along the shore.

In a maritime incident on May 6, 2018, at 2 a.m., the Antigua-Barbuda-registered container vessel m/v 'Froland' (IMO No.: 9505584), weighing 6,668 gross tons, collided with the side wall of the Northern lock of the Kiel Canal while navigating towards the Elbe from Loviisa. The unfortunate allision resulted in damage to the lock's covering. Following an investigation into the circumstances of the event, authorities permitted the ship to continue its journey at 3 a.m., with its destination set for Mostaganem, expected to arrive on May 13. Preliminary findings indicated that the incident was caused by a steering error.