The Armed Forces of Malta have denied reports in the Italian media that suggested that the AFM have shirked their duty and left a boatload of migrants to drown off the coast of Lampedusa – an area included in Malta’s search and rescue zone.

Reports in the Italian media stated that the Italian Navy found 11 corpses of the 14 shipwrecked irregular migrants around 65 miles southeast from the Pelagie Islands (Lampedusa, Lampione and Linosa).

The reports claimed that the shipwreck took place in the last 48 hours and that the death count was expected to rise.

A spotter plane launched the alarm when it spotted a life-vest floating around 65 miles from Lampedusa.

In a snide remark, the Italian media said that, even though that area of sea fell under Malta’s search and rescue area “even this time the Italian Military intervened – first with a military plane, that located three bodies close by and sent out the Spica patrol to pick up the victims.”

However, an AFM spokesperson pointed out that, while it was true that the area in question did fall under Malta’s SAR, “we coordinate with the Italian authorities in cases like these.”

“We are not saying anything new in stating that the area close to Lampedusa is within Malta’s SAR – in these situations we coordinate between us,” said the spokesperson.