Maltese armed forces have rescued a group of around 40 people, including two pregnant women and some children, who were on board a boat in distress at sea.

An Armed Forces of Malta spokeswoman said the group were rescued on Monday afternoon and were on their way to Malta.

However, the NGO Alarm Phone, which acts as a hotline for distressed migrants crossing the Mediterranean, accused the Maltese authorities of delaying the rescue.

A spokeswoman said the NGO first informed the coast guard about the boat at 5.10pm on Sunday, telling them those on board included two pregnant women and seven children. 

"We contacted them three times yesterday and three this morning," she said on Monday.

The passengers had to spend the night on a wooden boat at sea, despite not having water or food and in need of medical attention, she said.

"This is not the first time this has happened. We had a similar case on September 18 when 45 people were in distress for many hours and a pregnant woman was about to lose her child and it took days for Malta to intervene.

"This is a pattern they are using to delay the rescue as a preventative strategy for people trying to cross the Mediterranean."

A spokeswoman for the AFM said she could not comment on the claims. 

Maltese authorities have rescued hundreds of migrants this month attempting to cross from Libya to countries in the European Union. 

 

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