VALLETTA, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The Armed Forces of Malta said on Sunday that 19 migrants, 17 males, a pregnant woman, and a child, were rescued from the sea Saturday night.
The Malta Rescue Coordination Centre said the fibreglass boat carrying the 19 migrants departed Libya and sent out distress signal 50 nautical miles south of the island, whilst inside Malta's search and rescue region.
The Maltese centre was informed of the boat by the Italian authorities and the Libyan coast guard. It was still in Libya's search and rescue zone at the time.
An Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) maritime patrol aircraft and a patrol vessel were dispatched to locate the boat. Not long after the migrants were provided with life jackets by the AFM patrol vessel, did the migrants' boat capsize.
Seventeen of the passengers were rescued immediately while two missing migrants were found following a search by the AFM.
