The AFM said today that yesterday morning's migrant boat tragedy off Lampedusa happened after the boat was reached by two Italian coast guard vessels.

In an apparent reply to Italian reports blaming Malta for the tragedy, since it happened in the Maltese Search and Rescue zone, the AFM said the incident happened at 5.35 a.m. yesterday after the boat had been intercepted by at least two Italian Coastguard craft , which arrived more than an hour earlier.

These craft had intercepted the boat in response to an alert passed to the Italian authorities by Malta.

The boat is believed to have been carrying up to 300 people, of whom only 53 were rescued.

The AFM said Rome informed RCC Malta of the capsize at 6.28 a.m.

At the time the boat was 32 NM south of Lampedusa and 100 NM southwest off Malta in rough seas.

The AFM deployed Patrol Vessel P61 to the search area yesterday morning and it is still on the scene.

Yesterday’s search efforts by the AFM also included two search flights, one of which was conducted by the AFM’s new Maritime Patrol Aircraft the Beechcraft King Air B200, on its first operational deployment.

Search activities this morning are supported by an Italian Military Mission AB212 helicopter deployed from Malta. Current weather conditions in the area are somewhat better than yesterday with 4-6 foot seas and northerly force 4 winds.