A tanker that picked up 79 migrants and was left stranded off Lampedusa has been allowed to sail to Sicily, according to an NGO.

The ship was reportedly asked to pick up the migrants by Maltese authorities but was not told where to disembark them. For the past five days it had been anchored off Lampedusa, which refused it entry.

NGO Alarm Phone said the condition onboard had become dire and there was a shortage of water.

The group has also said that more migrants boats have left Libya amid a new wave of fighting in Tripoli.

On Thursday, Malta chartered a second Captain Morgan vessel after it rescued another 123 people. The Europa II is anchored 13 miles east of Malta, carrying 58 migrants.

The location of the other vessel, the Bahari, remains unclear. That vessel is carrying 105 migrants. 18 women and children from the two groups rescued this week have been allowed to disembark in Malta.

Malta recently closed its ports to migrants in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. The government is calling on the EU to help relocate the rescued migrants.

Sources said on Thursday that only Portugal had replied, offering to take 6 migrants.

Photo: Aldo Allkanjari/marinetraffic.com