A rescue NGO is claiming Malta instructed two merchant ships to ignore 45 people in distress at sea.

Sea Eye said on Monday it had rescued 45 people from the Maltese search and rescue zone overnight. It said the group had been "fighting for survival on the high seas for six days". 

Nearly all of the rescued people suffered burns from spilt gasoline and were traumatised by the ordeal, it said.

The NGO claimed that in previous days, Malta and Italy "actively tried to prevent" the rescue of these people, with Malta instructing two merchant shops to ignore the group and "even threatening consequences.

Sea Eye said that on Saturday Italy assigned Livorno as a port of safety for a group of 63 people it already had on board.

In the meantime, however, it was informed of another group of people in distress: 45 people had been stranded for days on a plastic boat unfit for sea and were in Malta's search and rescue zone. 

"Although the Italian authorities knew about the case and the acute life-threatening situation of the people since Friday, they instructed the Sea-Eye 4 to sail immediately to Livorno."

Sea-Eye said that it had however remained in the area, searching for the 45 people. It said it also communicated with two merchant ships that were also in the Maltese search and rescue zone and offered help.

However, the Maltese Rescue Coordination Centre instructed both vessels to continue on their regular course, the Sea Eye said.

One of the merchant ships called off the search, while the other one stayed on.

In an email to this vessel, the Maltese Rescue Coordination Centre said there was no distress case and warned it that a rescue would be considered an interception on the high seas - a crime under international law.

Malta's behaviour 'scandalous': Sea Eye

Sea Eye said the incident was yet another example of Malta using political calculations when deciding on rescuing lives at sea.

"The case of the young girl Loujin, who died of thirst in the Maltese search and rescue zone in September, is just one well-known example of the consequences of this deliberate inaction," Sea Eye said.

"The fact that Malta not only does not carry out its own rescues in its own search and rescue zone but actively tries to prevent rescues by merchant ships, is scandalous," Gorden Isler Sea-Eye chair said in a statement.

The vessel is currently on its way to Livorno with 108 people aboard. 

"The crew is exhausted but happy to have rescued the people. The first thing we have to do is wash the clothes of the rescued people because all of them were completely soaked in gasoline.

"As a result, many suffered burns that need to be treated at the infirmary. It will take them a long time to recover - many are staring, stunned into the distance," operations manager Jan Ribbeck said of the situation on board.

Questions have been sent to the Armed Forces of Malta and the Home Affairs Ministry.

Sea Eye published a series of emails to back up its claims:

Initial case notification. Photo: Sea Eye

RCC Italy to Sea Eye. Photo: Sea Eye

RCC Malta to vessel. Photo: Sea Eye

RCC Malta to vessel. Photo: Sea Eye

RCC Malta to Sea Eye. Photo: Sea Eye