At Least 8 People Killed As Migrant Boat And Tunisian Ship Collide In Maltese Waters
A collision between a Tunisian ship and a migrant boat has lead to at least eight people drowning in Maltese waters.
The incident happened last night, sinking the migrant boat, a small wooden craft carrying some 70 migrants. According to a report by La Stampa this afternoon, migrants are stranded all over at sea, and while the first estimate said there were at least eight victims, there are reportedly many missing. According to the Telegraph, around 40 migrants have been rescued from the sea, meaning that more than 20 are still unaccounted for.
First aid came directly from the Tunisian ship, which according to some sources is either a large fishing boat or a military craft.
Since the collision took place in the southwest of Lampedusa but within the Armed Forces of Malta’s extensive Search and Rescue Area in the Mediterranean, a rescue mission (which included a reconnaissance plane) was launched from Valletta. At the request of Maltese authorities, two Lampedusa Coast Guard vessels were also dispatched to help.
It is still unclear as to how the incident occurred, but this does follow the increased activity of Tunisian authorities between the North African country and Malta. Considering what certain people have been calling “ghost landings” occurring on the coasts of Agrigento, Lampedusa, and Linosa, La Stampa did not exclude the possibility that this collision was an intentional attempt at stopping the group of migrants and bringing them back. Until now, however, there are no official confirmations.
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