5 dead off Malta as migrant boat capsizes
Police forensic officers gather around the body of a drowned migrant after a boat carrying 30 migrants capsized during a rescue operation off Malta, at the Armed Forces of Malta maritime squadron base at Haywharf in Valletta's Marsamxett Harbour, Malta February 23, 2024.
At least five people were confirmed dead after a migrant boat capsized near Malta's shores during a rescue operation, local media reported on Friday.
Local media said that many others were injured when the boat capsized in the morning, with more than 30 migrants on board heading to Europe.
The migrants were in distress and requested assistance. A Malta patrol boat had been dispatched to rescue those aboard, but their vessel turned over off the Malta coast.
So far the cause of the incident is unknown.
