Dead woman among group of migrants landing in Malta

Apr 12, 2011, 7:52 GMT

Valletta, Malta - A dead woman was among a group of 116 migrants who landed in Malta early Tuesday, officials said.

The 29-year-old woman died as the boat made its way from Libya to the Mediterranean island. The circumstances of her death were not yet known.

The migrants, from Chad and Somalia, consisted of 94 men, 18 women, a three-year-old boy and three babies, the Maltese Armed Forces said. Their 50-foot wooden boat had run out of fuel and had an engine fault.

An Italian fishing boat noticed the migrants as they burnt clothes to attract attention.

They were picked up 45 nautical miles south-west of Malta and 47 miles east of the Italian island of Lampedusa.

The Maltese forces said the Italian authorities informed the Malta rescue centre they would not send any of their assets to assist in the situation, since the migrants' boat was closer to Malta.

The incident is expected to deepen the rift between Italy and Malta as they trade accusations of irresponsibility over migration from Africa.

On Sunday, Maltese Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi chastized the Italian government for refusing to rescue migrants at sea close to Lampedusa last Thursday.

Tuesday's arrival means that more than 1,200 migrants have landed on the EU's smallest state since the start of the conflict in Libya.

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