A Turkish fishing vessel rescued migrants from a boat in distress in international waters off Malta on Sunday (7 June), after the overcrowded craft capsized in the central Mediterranean.
Italian coast guard teams recovered 10 bodies while search continued for others after the craft which departed from Libya capsized.
The vessel, operated by Istanbul-based Group Sagun and engaged in bluefin tuna fishing activities, spotted the boat in difficulty and brought survivors aboard the Tuncay Sagun 2.
Crew members on the Turkish fishing vessel pulled migrants from the water and provided initial assistance, including food and water, after responding to the emergency off Malta.
Crew members initially reported fatalities among those on the migrant boat, but no further details were immediately available.
Italy's coast guard later said a patrol boat had recovered the bodies of 10 people after the fishing vessel rescued 48 migrants from the capsized craft near Malta.
The coast guard said it was still searching an area approximately 52 miles, or 84 kilometres, southeast of Malta where the migrant vessel was reported to have capsized. The craft had around 60 people aboard, officials said.
Maltese authorities asked Italy's navy coast guard to dispatch a patrol boat to the area, according to the coast guard statement cited by AP.
The rescue operation therefore involved the Turkish fishing crew, Maltese authorities and Italy's coast guard as the search continued.
Officials said the migrant boat had departed from Libya with around 60 people on board, one of the main departure points for people trying to cross the Mediterranean from North Africa in small boats in the hope of reaching Europe.
The route has remained one of the most dangerous migration corridors in the region with thousands of people losing their lives each year while trying to make the perilous journey across the Mediterranean, mostly due to overcrowded crafts, long distances and rapidly changing conditions.
The European Union has an agreement with the Libyan government aimed at reducing the number of migrants flowing through the country. It has given Libya 700 million euros, or $824 million, since 2015, much of it to reinforce border management.
Italy's migration policy in the central Mediterranean has long relied on cooperation with Libya to curb departures, including support, training and equipment for the Libyan coast guard to intercept migrant boats.
The Tuncay Sagun 2 later left the area to transfer the rescued migrants to Maltese authorities, according to Reuters.
The United States has bombed Iran for an 11th consecutive night as the Pentagon says the war’s cost reach $37.5 billion. President Donald Trump thr...
Scientists have identified a planetary system in the Milky Way unlike anything seen before, leaving astronomers debating how to classify one of its un...
Afghanistan recorded 483 suspected cases of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) and 21 deaths in June 2026, a 174.4% increase from May, with the W...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 21st of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 22nd of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
President Donald Trump said the United States will target Iran’s heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain site “pretty soon” as he meets with Lebanese president Michel Aoun. Meanwhile, U.S. forces carried out a 10th consecutive night of strikes on Iran while Tehran continues to target Gulf countries.
The United States has bombed Iran for an 11th consecutive night as the Pentagon says the war’s cost reach $37.5 billion. President Donald Trump threatens a heavy strike on the suspected Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site. Tehran warns that any attack could trigger a wider regional escalation.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier have discussed regional developments, transport connectivity, energy cooperation and the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process during talks in Berlin.
The building where Adolf Hitler was born, near Austria's border with Germany, officially began a new life as a police station on Wednesday. Austria's government hopes the conversion will prevent it from becoming a place of pilgrimage for neo-Nazis.
Daniel Siad, a modelling scout whose name appeared in documents linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has been found dead at his home near Paris, French prosecutors said. He was 69.
Ukraine's new commander-in-chief, Mykhailo Drapatyi, takes charge at a pivotal stage of the war with Russia, facing mounting challenges including troop shortages, battlefield reform and the rapid evolution of drone warfare.
ASEAN foreign ministers opened the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila on 21 July, launching four days of talks that run until 24 July. The agenda includes South China Sea tensions, Myanmar’s conflict and growing U.S.-China rivalry.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand has renewed calls for an immediate de-escalation and permanent ceasefire in the Middle East while she warned that the humanitarian situation had become "quite grave". Anand also raised concern over tensions in the South China Sea.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment