71 would-be immigrants perish off Malta

VALLETTA (AFP) - Seventy-one would-be illegal immigrants to Europe perished when their boat sank in the Mediterranean Sea, according to eight companions rescued Wednesday off Malta, the Maltese police said.

If their tale is confirmed, it would be one of the worst such incidents ever recorded off Malta, a target destination for Africans trying to reach Europe in often flimsy watercraft.

The survivors were plucked out of the water by a Maltese fishing vessel, the Madonna di Pompei, from a semi-submerged dinghy 70km off Malta, then transferred to a military patrol boat.