EUROPEAN maritime authorities have refused to come to the aid of over 400 people travelling across the Mediterranean in an overcrowded boat, an activist group warned today.

On Wednesday morning, the refugee distress hotline organisation Alarm Phone alerted Italy and Malta to about 430 people in distress off the coast of Libya.

But neither countries’ coastguard launched a rescue, despite the boat reaching Malta’s search-and-rescue zone on Wednesday night, Alarm Phone said today.