Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/380554
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2014 3 News MIRIAM DALLI TWO children were among a small group of persons rescued in an on- going search and rescue operation some 300 miles south east of Malta yesterday. Three survivors will be brought to Malta on a merchant vessel while survivors rescued in an earlier operation were evacuated to Crete. Three bodies were also recovered and were to be brought to Malta in the early hours this morning. The rescue, coordinated by the Armed Forces of Malta, was launched after a merchant vessel, the AMS Pegasus, sighted two persons in the water. The two, believed to be migrants in transit, said they had been on board a vessel that sank. RCC Malta was contacted and ordered several mer- chant vessels transiting in the vicin- ity to take part in a series of searches in the area to locate other possible survivors. RCC Malta also despatched an AFM maritime patrol aircraft to conduct further searches. Through coordination between RCC MT and MRCC Rome, three Italian Coast- guard and Navy aircraft were also despatched to the area to assist. An Italian coastguard aircraft spot- ted a group of persons in the water in one of the search areas and launched a life raft to help them. A total of sev- en persons, including two children, were recovered by merchant vessels. During the rescue operation a number of corpses were spotted but priority was given to saving the sur- vivors. "Because the rescued persons were in need of urgent medical assistance and Greece was the closest place of safety and within helicopter range of the merchant vessels, RCC MT coordinated a MEDEVAC with the Greek Rescue Coordination Centre and Greek Coastguard. RCC MT is currently coordinating further searches in the area in order to locate other possible survivors also with the assistance of MRCC Rome," the AFM said. In view of limited visibility and night conditions the search was temporarily suspended and resumed early yesterday morning. C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Several dead in sea tragedy south east of Malta Shots fired in Paola, shopkeeper escapes unhurt A 55-year-old man escaped unhurt when shots were fired in his direction early yesterday morning. According to the police gunfire was heard at around 5:30am in St Joseph Street, Paola. Preliminary investigations showed that the man, from Paola, was in the shop when the shots were fired in his direction. It is not clear whether more than one person was involved in the shooting. No one was injured. Further investigations are underway and several experts have been appointed to assist with a magisterial inquiry. VIDEO on MaltaToday online http://bit.ly/1qMd2zt PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD