An Armed
Forces of Malta P-61 offshore patrol vessel with an overflying Air
Wing PBN Islander aircraft are trying to locate a boat carrying
53 illegal immigrants 88 nautical miles South of Malta.
The illegal immigrants were meant to be brought to Haywharf at around 1800CEST after the vessel's engine
ceased to work and started to take in water. However a search in the area for the adrift vessel is ongoing, an AFM spokesperson told MaltaMedia.
In a statement
released earlier on Monday, the AFM said that the group was reported to the
Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) at Luqa Barracks by an African resident on
Monday at around 0600CEST. The AFM Headquarters' Operations Centre immediately contacted
the illegal immigrants to confirm the received information, and subsequently a
long-range search aircraft was sent to the location to positively identify the
drifting boatload of migrants.
The number of persons onboard is
estimated at 53, however it is unsure whether there are small infants or
pregnant women aboard the boat.
The vessel's engine
ceased to work and it started taking in water.
Emergency
contingency plans for their arrival have already commenced at Police General Head
Quarters, St. Luke's Hospital and the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs'
Detention Service.
More details will be published as made available.
Read more about this issue on MaltaMedia's special feature: Lanċa Ġejja u Ohra Sejra: Malta and its
migrations.
