VALLETTA – Malta government, said the 85 survivors rescued by a Maltese patrol boat while drifting in rough seas off the Mediterranean island said more than 20 migrants died as they tried to reach Europe [pro_ad_display_adzone id=”8″]by boat.
The government spokesman said on Thursday in Valletta, that the migrants had told rescuers that they had dumped the victims’ bodies out at sea, but government was yet to verify the claim.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
He said the survivors, believed to be from sub-Saharan Africa, claimed to have been out at sea for “days, and their point of departure was not yet known.
The spokesman said before they were disembarked, the asylum seekers were subjected to lengthy health checks, including for potential Ebola cases.
Along with Italy, Malta is a key entry point for people fleeing from North Africa and the Middle East.
Meanwhile, an Italian coastguard vessel picked up a separate boat carrying around 70 migrants off the coast of Libya on Thursday. (dpa/NAN)