Malta, Dec 17 (V7N) - At least one person has died after a migrant boat carrying asylum seekers sank in the Mediterranean Sea near the coast of Malta, while 59 Bangladeshi nationals were rescued alive, according to international media and official sources.

The incident occurred on Friday when the vessel, which had departed from the Libyan coast bound for Europe, entered Malta’s search and rescue zone. Reports indicate that the boat developed a mechanical failure during the journey and eventually capsized.

Malta’s coast guard and rescue agencies launched an immediate operation and successfully rescued a total of 61 migrants, including 59 Bangladeshis. Six of the survivors were suffering from hypothermia, a condition caused by dangerously low body temperature, and were given medical treatment. The identity of the deceased person has not yet been confirmed.

All rescued migrants have been placed under the supervision of the relevant Maltese authorities.

International migration news outlet InfoMigrants reported that Friday’s rescue operation marked the first major arrival of irregular migrants in Malta in recent years. In 2020, around 2,200 migrants arrived in the country, but stricter control measures have since significantly reduced irregular migration. Last year, Malta recorded only 238 asylum seekers.

According to data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), only 185 migrants had arrived in Malta up to last week this year. In contrast, approximately 136,000 migrants have reached Europe by crossing the Mediterranean so far this year, with at least 64,000 arriving in Italy and 44,000 in Greece.

It is worth noting that Bangladesh does not have an embassy in Malta. Bangladeshi nationals residing there receive consular services from the Bangladesh Embassy in Athens, Greece. When contacted, the Athens mission said it had not yet received any official information regarding the incident.

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