Monday, 12th January 2009 - 16:40CET
Video: Rough seas prevent transfer of migrants to shore
Bad weather has forced the AFM to stop attempts to disembark a group of 162 migrants at Anchor Bay.
The migrants were picked up by the tanker Overseas Primar in rough seas 59 miles off Malta yesterday afternoon. Since a patrol boat could not reach the position, the tanker was asked to come to Malta. It anchored overnight on Hurd's Bank but with the sea remaining very rough, it moved to the more sheltered Anchor Bay this afternoon.
Attempts to transfer the migrants to launches for landing in the bay were deemed unsafe however.
The group of migrants - the first to arrive in Malta this year, is made up of 133 men, 28 women and a child. The tanker during the night requested a supply of blankets but they could not be delivered because of the rough sea.
The tanker is continuing to ride the storm off Malta.
Earlier in the day the rough seas also forced rescue teams to suspend a search for a missing Maltese diver at Ghajn Tuffieha.
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Comments
@ Chris Sant
the problem is not that the Maltese people have had enough..... its the ones that are in mainland Europe that seem still want more. So whether we like it or not we have to do the "logical" decision imposed upon us.
This must be an omen for all the illegals wanting to reach Malta illegally. This year will not be a good year for you. The Maltese people have had enough, way too much of you.