VALLETTA, July 28 (Xinhua) -- The Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) has rescued a group of 37 migrants who were in difficulty while crossing the Mediterranean, a spokesman for the police told Xinhua on Wednesday.
The migrants arrived at Boiler Wharf in Malta on an AFM patrol boat early on Wednesday.
The spokesman said the police assisted the AFM in the rescue operation.
According to NGO Alarm Phone, which receives distress calls from people making the crossing and who find themselves in difficulty, a merchant vessel that happened to be passing close to the migrants was asked by Malta's rescue coordination center to be on standby.
Alarm Phone tweeted on Tuesday night that it was receiving calls from relatives of several migrants on the boat who were worried about the fate of their loved ones.
This is the third group of migrants rescued by Malta this month, with a group of 46, including a minor, rescued on Monday and another group of 81 on July 14. Three dead migrants had also been found with that group. Enditem