Armed Forces of Malta coordinates immigrants rescue to Lampedusa

timesofmalta.com - AFM coordinates rescue to Lampedusa

Fourteen illegal immigrants were rescued by the Italian authorities while drifting some 34 nautical miles south-south-east of Lampedusa because they did not have fuel to continue their journey.

The immigrants - 13 men and a woman, were in good health and were taken to Lampedusa. Their nationalities are not yet known.

The operation was coordinated by the Armed Forces of Malta, which is the search-and-rescue authority for the area. Its Italian counterpart at the Ministry of Transport in Rome alerted the Luqa Barracks' operations centre to the immigrants' plight.