Seventeen migrants were rescued after a shipwreck in the Mediterranean, while tragically, two children lost their lives, as reported by the German NGO Sea Punks on Sunday in Milan.

The rescue operation occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning in the Maltese Search and Rescue (SAR) area, according to a statement by Sea Punks.

Regrettably, one child was found deceased, but thanks to the efforts of the Sea Punks medical team, two other children received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), with one child's life successfully saved.

Subsequently, a Maltese rescue helicopter airlifted a pregnant woman and a seriously injured man, while an Italian coastguard vessel rescued the remaining 15 survivors and recovered the bodies of the two deceased children.

According to Sea Punks, survivors recounted that the boat had departed with a total of 21 individuals, leaving two individuals unaccounted for.

Earlier reports from the Italian news agency ANSA had indicated that 15 migrants were rescued, three had sadly perished, and three others were still missing.