AFM rescue 58 migrants

Fifty-eight migrants were rescued by Armed Forces of Malta last nights and brought to shore after their boats were in an unfit condition to continue their journey.

The AFM said the first case was signalled to the Operations Centre at 6.30 p.m. by a tanker vessel, the "Forward Bridge", which reported a boat 27 nautical miles (NM) east of Malta. The tanker said the migrants had asked for fuel and food.

An AFM Air Wing Alouette helicopter went on site but searched by a patrol boat in the darkness were initially unsuccessful until another merchant vessel, the "Vema Cape" reported that the same migrants were alongside and requesting assistance. P-32 was within 7 miles range of the tanker and at 11.20 p.m. located the migrants' boat which was found unseaworthy. The migrants, 26 men and 2 women, one of whom is pregnant, were taken onboard the patrol boat and landed at Haywharf base at 1.30 a.m.

In the second rescue involved 30 men who were initially picked up by the Italian fishing boat "Alibut" 40 NM south of Malta. Some of the group had tried to forcibly board the fishing vessel, whilst others did not manage to, obliging the fishing boat's crew to take them all onboard, the AFM said.

The migrants were later transferred to AFM patrol boat P-24 and landed at Haywharf at 3.30 a.m.