AFM rescue 228 illegal immigrants

Two hundred and twenty-eight illegal immigrants aboard a sinking boat off Malta were yesterday rescued by the Armed Forces and brought ashore on an AFM patrol boat.

The AFM said the immigrants had allegedly left from Libya on the 20-metre Zimalef bound for Italy, but encountered problems in rough seas some 44 nautical miles south of the island.

They included 170 men, 40 women and 18 children and babies, the AFM said.

Police said they were Africans, but could not confirm their nationality.

The immigrants entered Grand Harbour at about 9.30 p.m. Police said they all walked off the ship in an orderly and co-operative fashion. One man was taken to hospital.

The women and children disembarked first and some of the immigrants were given blankets.

They were then escorted to the police headquarters on police buses for medical check-ups and controls by the Immigration Police, and on to immigrant detention centres.

Ambulances, the rescue services and the police were stationed at Pinto Wharf for their arrival, and the commander of the AFM and the police commissioner were also present.

Yesterday morning, at about 5.30 a.m., the AFM's rescue co-ordination centre at Luqa was alerted by Malta Radio that the passengers on board the Zimalef had requested assistance because the boat was in danger of sinking.

The position of the boat was unknown as it had no means of determining its location.

An AFM Islander aircraft was immediately dispatched to locate the boat, while a cross-bearing was attempted via Dingli Post, the AFM said.

The Zimalef was located at about 9.45 a.m.

An AFM doctor was sent out by helicopter to tend to the immigrants, most of whom were feeling seasick.

Three AFM sea craft arrived on site at around 1 p.m. and the immigrants were taken aboard the AFM's largest patrol boat, P31, and provided with water.

The AFM said German and Tunisian warships were requested to assist in the operation and were diverted to the location of the stricken boat. Two cargo ships were also diverted to offer any assistance.

In March, around 59 illegal immigrants lost their lives, while 11 were rescued when the small boat they were on capsized in rough weather in the channel between Malta and Lampedusa.

The Armed Forces was roped in to assist in the rescue operation after the boat, which measured some seven metres, ran into bad weather in international waters, about 120 nautical miles southwest of Malta.

The tragedy occurred only three days after 208 illegal immigrants drifted into Xlendi Bay, Gozo, when their 40-foot boat ran out of fuel.

The worst disaster involving illegal immigrants in the Mediterranean occurred in 1996 when 280 passengers drowned on Christmas Day in the channel between Sicily and Malta.

In 1997, an Italian naval vessel collided with a packed boat, killing 80 Albanians aboard.