PARIS — A U.S. Navy vessel is waiting to learn where it can disembark 40 migrants who survived a capsizing off Libya.

Lt. Cmdr. Zachary Harrell, a U.S. 6th Fleet spokesman, said discussions were ongoing Thursday evening, two days after the Trenton rescued the survivors and also spotted 12 “unresponsive” people in the sea. Harrell said Navy rescuers returned to the scene after bringing survivors safely aboard the Trenton, but didn’t find anyone else.

A private rescue boat, Sea Watch-3, said the Trenton asked on Tuesday if it could take aboard the survivors. Sea Watch said it would, but only if the Rome-based rescue coordination center assigned it a safe harbor within navigation range. No such port was assigned to the NGO.

Italy’s new government is demanding other countries take rescued migrants.

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