Updated 4.30 p.m.

A dinghy used by migrants in their crossing from Africa to Malta was located by the Armed Forces of Malta this afternoon.

158 migrants were brought to Malta last night, with the AFM having intercepted a second migrants' boat after having earlier assisted a merchant ship which picked up more than 50 migrants from a dinghy.

Some of the migrants in the first group were in poor health. They were picked up by the merchant ship Victoria 6 some 70 nautical miles south of Malta.

The AFM said that efforts to locate two deceased migrants reported lost at sea during the transfer continued today. Their dinghy had broken lose while it was being towed by the Victoria.

Fishermen located the dinghy this afternoon and an AFM patrol boat was then sent to the area to recover the missing bodies, reportedly still on the dinghy.

Another two migrants had fallen into the sea and two died on the Victoria.

The merchant ship transferred the migrants to a patrol craft for landing in Malta in the early hours of this morning. 

A patrol boat with the second group of migrants also arrived in Malta after midnight.