A migrant boat capsized Friday off the coast of Malta during a rescue operation, killing five people, including a woman, an official of the armed forces of the small Mediterranean island announced.
“Unfortunately, five migrants were brought back lifeless to the shore
,” Colonel Edric Zahra said at a press conference, specifying that emergency services were looking for possible other victims.
In addition, eight migrants were hospitalized, while 21 others were taken to a reception center in Safi, in the south of the island.
The boat is said to have left Libya, while the rescued migrants claim to come from Syria, Egypt, Ghana and Eritrea.
The boat, spotted in the morning south of the Maltese coast, capsized while a rescue operation was underway.
“These migrant boats are usually overloaded with passengers.
When the passengers move from one side to the other, it is likely that the boat loses its stability
,” explained the colonel.
“The migrants ended up at sea
,” he lamented.