Helicopters deployed to rescue migrants - more arrive this morning

The Armed Forces of Malta yesterday evening deployed two helicopters to rescue migrants after their boat capsized 36 miles south west of Malta.

The alert was raised by the tugboat Akwadem 2 at about 6.30 p.m. Its master said a small boat carrying 26 migrants had capsized, and the migrants were being rescued.

Since four migrants were reported to need medical treatment, an AFM Air Wing Alouette rescue helicopter was scrambled to the scene. A rescuer was winched down to the tugboat and one of the injured migrants was then hoisted to the helicopter and ferried to Mater Dei Hospital.

At 8.16 p.m. an Italian Military Mission AB-212 helicopter took onboard another two casualties who were also conveyed to Mater Dei Hospital.

The other migrants were transferred from the tugboat to an AFM patrol boat and are to be landed in Malta later tonight.

Meanwhile a boat carrying 27 Somalis was escorted into Marsaxlokk this morning after being intercepted at the harbour mouth at 3.30 a.m.