Maltese authorities have told Alarm Phone they are "aware" of a missing boat carrying 110 people, but cannot provide any information due to having "so many open cases," the NGO said on Saturday morning.
The information was relayed by Malta's Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) in a phone call shortly after 9:30am, a spokesperson for the sea rescue hotline NGO said.
Alarm Phone went public about its concerns for the boat on Friday afternoon after it was told by people onboard that they were shot at and chased by a vessel believed to be from the Libyan coastguard.
One engine onboard the boat had broken down and a person had been injured in the incident, the spokesperson said. People aboard the boat said they were trying to reach Greek shores.
The NGO said that Greece's Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) initially told it that Maltese authorities were "handling" the situation, as the boat was in Malta's search and rescue (SAR) zone.
Greek authorities again reiterated that the boat was Malta's responsibility in a call made at around 4.30am, the NGO said.
But later that morning, shortly after Maltese authorities confirmed they were "aware" of the boat, Greece said that it had sent a vessel to search for the missing vessel. Alarm Phone said it was "sceptical" about that assurance and noted that Greece provided no further information.
The last known coordinates of the boat place it in Greece's search and rescue (SAR) zone but close to the boundary of Malta's, the spokesperson said, adding that due to contact being lost it was "unclear" if the boat had changed course.
Times of Malta is not in a position to be able to verify the claims.
On Friday afternoon, Alarm Phone reported that a boat carrying 110 migrants had been fired at by a vessel flying the flag of the Libyan coastguard.
The attack happened in Malta's search and rescue (SAR) zone west of Greek island Crete, the NGO had said, warning that the lives of those on board were in danger.
"A group alerted Alarm Phone to report that they are threatened by gunfire from an unknown small vessel carrying the Libyan flag," the group said in an X (formerly Twitter) post on Friday afternoon.
One person had been injured in the incident, Alarm Phone said, adding the boat had reported repeatedly called for help without success.
Around 40 children are thought to be onboard the boat that it is understood to have departed from Lebanon in a bid to reach Italy, with the alleged attack by the Libyan vessel having forced it to change course for Greece.
This is not the first time NGOs have reported incidents of gunfire in proximity to suspected migrants.
In March, rescue NGOs published footage of Libyan coastguards shooting in the direction of a boat carrying some 80 people, moments after firing warning shots close to a rescue ship in international waters.
Since the start of the year over 130,000 people have arrived in Europe via sea, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. While almost 100,000 were recorded arriving in Italy and 15,000 in Greece, Malta has seen just 231 arrivals.
Malta has repeatedly been accused by NGOs of not rendering assistance to vessels suspected to be carrying migrants in its search and rescue zone and of coordinating "pushbacks" to Libya with authorities in the country.
Questions were sent to AFM (Armed Forces Malta) and the Home Affairs Ministry on Friday afternoon and again on Saturday.