- Five people were killed when a 25-foot boat carrying migrants capsized during a rescue operation off the coast of Malta on Friday.
- The 21 survivors were transferred to a migrant detention center in Malta, and a search operation continued offshore.
- Additional boats from the military were sent to assist and a police investigation into the incident was launched.
A 25-foot boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Malta during a rescue operation on Friday, killing five people and injuring eight others, Maltese authorities said.
The other 21 survivors were taken to an immigration detention center in the Mediterranean island nation. Search operations continued offshore to ensure that no other passengers remained in the water.
Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta, Colonel Edric Zahra, said that at 10.45am on Friday, the operations center received a call about a migrant boat heading towards Malta about eight miles offshore.
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Military aircraft spotted the boat and ships were dispatched to the area. The boat capsized when rescue efforts began. Zahra said there was no collision, but the boat “became unstable” and capsized as the passengers were removed.
Migrants are seen riding in small rubber boats as they attempt to cross the English Channel near the Strait of Dover. A 25-foot boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Malta during a rescue operation on Friday, killing five people and injuring eight others, Maltese authorities said. (Luke Dray/Getty Images)
Migrant rescues sometimes fail as panicked passengers move to one side of the already unstable ship in an attempt to disembark quickly.
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The military sent more boats to help and a police investigation was launched.
The immigrants were from Egypt, Syria, Ghana and Eritrea. The five people killed included four men and one woman.
