Some 60 migrants were rescued by the Armed Forces of Malta, and one person is believed to have died.

The migrants in distress were spotted in the water by a fisherman outside of Malta's territorial waters.

In a statement to The Malta Independent, an AFM spokesperson said that on Friday morning at 08.43am, the Rescue Coordination Centre received a report of a boat with irregular migrants in distress outside the Maltese coast, with information also indicating that several persons were in the water.

AFM aerial and maritime units were immediately dispatched to the area to provide assistance, the spokesperson said.

The AFM said that all persons were recovered using both maritime and aerial means and given immediate care, as several were showing signs from severe hypothermia.

After the AFM carried out the recovery, the individuals were subsequently attended to by other competent authorities, the spokesperson said.

The migrants were then taken to Bugibba. The spokesperson did not clarify the exact number of migrants rescued, but it is estimated that 61 were rescued.

According to reports, one person is believed to have died. Six people were taken to hospital.

Friday's arrival marks the first notable irregular migrant arrival to the country in recent years. The number of irregular arrivals dropped from over 2,200 in 2020, to 238 last year.