16.08.2012
About 160 African illegal immigrants were rescued being in distress on two vessels in the Mediterranean, reported Interfax referring to the Maltese military.
The first ship with about 60 men on board was noticed by merchant sailors about 40 km southwestward Malta. There were two dead men on board, the rest passengers were exhausted and dewatered. Two immigrants fell overboard after the ship was detected. They have not been found so far.
Another vessel with about 100 immigrants onboard was detected by a Maltese Navy's ship.
Malta lays on archipelago consisting of three main islands and numerous unpopulated ones. The country is located only 230 km northward Africa being on the way of illegal immigrants trying to reach Europe by sea. Hundreds of African immigrants have already become a serious problem in the country which area is 316 sq km and population does not exceed 370,000.
