Updated 1.26 p.m.

A six-year-old Syrian boy who lost his parents, brother and sister in the Lampedusa migrants tragedy of October 11 is on his way to Egypt to be reunited with the remaining members of his family.

Mohammed Fateh Alsaid Mahmoud covered himself with a Maltese flag given to him by Social Security Minister Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, who saw him off. He also carried a 'homeward bound' balloon.

Speaking through an interpreter he said he was very happy and excited and shouted 'Thank you Malta'.

Times of Malta had reported in December how the boy spent two months in Malta without seeing a familiar face until one of his uncles came to Malta.

He was spotted on Facebook by his uncle Maaruuf, who immediately established contact with the Maltese authorities.

He was located by his uncle through Red Cross who hoped to take his nephew back to Egypt with him. The two used to live in the same house in Syria before leaving the country 18 months ago.

Speaking this afternoon, he said he was taking the boy to Cairo where the rest of his family lived. The first thing they would do was to have a party, he said.

L'Espresso newspaper had reported that the drowning of many Syrian children in the Lampedusa tragedy was the result of a 'passing the buck'.

It said the Italian Navy frigate Libra was just a few miles away, over the horizon from the migrants. But it wasn't engaged in rescue operations for hours.

The first call for help reached the Coast Guard station in Rome which in turn alerted the Maltese authorities even though the Italians were closer to the site of the shipwreck. "We acted in compliance with International agreements," the Italian authorities said.

At least 268 drowned at sea and 212 were rescued.