Maltese save 19 migrants from capsized boat, 2 die

VALLETTA, Oct 24 (Reuters) A Maltese patrol boat rescued 19 migrants whose boat capsized eight miles off the island's east coast today, but two of them, a pregnant woman and a man, died on their way to hospital, police said.

The boat apparently capsized after an argument on board and four of its occupants are missing, the police said, adding that the migrants were thought to be Sudanese.

Patrol boats also recovered from the sea three badly decomposed bodies, probably illegal immigrants who died in an earlier attempt to reach Malta, police said.

Another boatload of 25 illegal immigrants arrived in Malta earlier on Tuesday. Its occupants are believed to have left from Eritrea and Somalia.

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