Early on Saturday morning an AFM aircraft on a routine patrol sighted a rubber dinghy some 34 nautical miles South of Malta with approximately 112 persons on board. The Operations Centre in Luqa immediately diverted an Inshore Patrol vessel P21 and an offshore patrol vessel P52 to investigate further.

The migrant vessel was in distress and drifting. Subsequently the migrants were transferred onto the Offshore patrol vessel P52 which arrived at the Maritime Squadron Base at 10.30pm on Saturday evening.

Previously 8 migrants requiring urgent medical evacuation were transferred on the P21 and steamed towards Maritime Squadron Base were an awaiting ambulance took these migrants to hospital for further medical treatment.

The AFM Operations Centre had been actively coordinating this migrant dinghy for 13 hours.

In total the group was made up of 112 persons, of whom 88 males, 20 females (1 pregnant) and 4 infants.

Photograph – AFM Press Office.

Permalink: AFM rescues 112 migrants including women and children