German organisation Sea-Watch revealed that more than 100 migrants and refugees were rescued while crossing the Mediterranean towards Europe.
Some of those migrants had been injured by severe burns, Sea-Watch said.
Three of those injured were children with severe burns, the NGO added.
The migrants were on board two boats which the Libyan coast guard had intercepted in the search and rescue zone of the Mediterranean assigned to Malta, the organisation said in a Twitter post early on Friday morning.
Those rescued came from South Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco, Ivory Coast and Mali.
“Italy and Malta are shifting the responsibility to each other at the expense of those who are suffering,” it said.
It was not immediately clear if Italian or Maltese officials had responded to the NGO’s requests.
According to the United Nations’ migration agency, more than 1,100 people fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East have died this year in the Mediterranean.
War-torn Libya has been the dominant transit point for thousands of migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa, seeking a new hope in the European continent.
Thousands of migrants leave Libya yearly towards Europe. Many of them die on the journey.
Since the start of the year, over 10,000 migrants have been rescued and returned to Libya in 2021, while at least 180 migrants travelling died.
Hundreds are still missing so far this year.
