The number of search and rescue operations by the Armed Forces of Malta so far this year has tripled compared to the same period last year, the AFM said yesterday, after the rescue of another boatload of migrants.

The AFM’s latest rescue was of 43 migrants who were landed on Thursday evening, after notification at about 11am that morning by RCC Rome that a rubber dinghy containing migrants was heading for Malta.

A body had also been brought in a few hours earlier.

The notification triggered the dispatch of Protector-class patrol boat P-51 from its Hay wharf base in Floriana, with an Air Wing Islander aircraft also taking off, to start searching the indicated area.

A positive sighting was made at 12.54pm, some 58 nautical miles southwest of Malta and the dinghy was intercepted at 3.24pm.

All the 43 migrants, who included two women, were found in good health. They claimed to be from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Somalia and Eritrea and said their intention was to head further north towards Italy.

Subsequently, they requested to be rescued.

In a separate, near concurrent case, the AFM Operations Centre was informed by RCC Madrid that a small boat containing a body was adrift some 139 nautical miles southeast of Malta.

The Diciotti-class P-61 offshore patrol vessel was already patrolling the area, some 19 nautical miles away from the assigned target area.

While en route, at 3.10pm, P61 located and recovered the body that was wearing a lifejacket and was in an advanced state of decomposition.

The body was brought in by a fast launch.