The Armed Forces of Malta is coordinating a search after a boat carrying some 30 migrants sank some 300 nautical miles south-east of Malta.

Survivors are claiming their boat was rammed by another boat.

A number of survivors, including two children, have been rescued by merchant vessels, but a number of corpses were also found. Another three survivors were saved this morning and will be brought to Malta on a merchant vessel.

The alert was raised yesterday afternoon by the cargo ship Pegasus which spotted and recovered two persons who were in the water. They reported they had been in a boat carrying 30 migrants which had sunk.

The ship informed Malta rescue coordination centre which immediately started coordinating a search involving several cargo ships,  three Italian coast guard vessels, three Italian aircraft and one Maltese aircraft.

An Italian coastguard aircraft spotted a group of survivors in the water  and dropped a life raft to assist them. Seven persons, including two children, were eventually picked up merchant ships in the area. They are conveying them to Crete, the nearest port. Some of them needed urgent medical assistance and were ferried to hospital by a Greek helicopter.

One of the corpses picked up by a cargo ship is being brought to Malta today.

Another corpse was picked up early this morning and is also being brought to Malta.

The search is ongoing.