Doctors Without Borders rescues over 400 migrants including Sri Lankans off the coast of Malta

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said yesterday that it had rescued 440 migrants from an overcrowded fishing boat in international waters off the coast of Malta, after trying to carry out the rescue for more than 11 hours

According to MSF among the rescued migrants were Sri Lankans while the others were from Syria, Pakistan, Egypt, and Somalia.

The rescued migrants are to be transfered to Italy, said MSF .

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said its ship, the GeoBarents, had struggled with the rescue due to bad weather, explaining that at first it could do nothing but throw life jackets to the migrants.

Two days ago, Alarm Phone, a charity that receives distress calls from migrant boats in the Mediterranean, warned that the boat was in distress.

"After more than 11 hours of operation, the rescue is now over and a total of 440 people, including 8 women and 30 children, are now safely aboard #GeoBarents and being cared for by the team," MSF wrote on Twitter.