Seventy-six migrants fleeing the war-torn Libyan city of Misurata by boat were rescued by the Armed Forced of Malta yesterday and brought ashore.

The migrants, who seemed to be in good health, said they were from Nigeria, Ghana, Mali, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Chad and Bangladesh. One claimed to be from Ontario, Canada.

Most of the migrants were young men, two of whom disembarked holding on tightly to Bibles.

“May God bless this land and may God bless me too,” one of them said, relieved to have finally reached safety.

There were eight women, one of whom said she was pregnant. Two of the women carried infants.

According to the AFM, the migrants said one person had died on the four-day journey and the corpse was cast overboard.

The migrants were intercepted 75 miles south east of Żonqor, Marsascala at 9 a.m. after being spotted by an AFM plane. Their 15-metre wooden fishing boat was drifting due to a lack of fuel.

They were taken onboard an AFM patrol boat by dinghy and their boat was sunk to prevent it becoming a hazard to other vessels. They were brought in to Malta at 4.45 p.m.

Members of the Red Cross were not allowed to take part in the disembarkation process at Hay Wharf in Pieta’. AFM sources said this was because they did not request permission as necessary.

The migrants were taken away in a police van for detention.