Seventeen migrants were rescued after a shipwreck in the Mediterranean, while two children died, the German NGO Sea Punks said on Sunday.

The rescue took place in the early hours of Sunday morning in the Maltese Search and Rescue (SAR) area, Sea Punks said in a statement.

One child was recovered deceased, while the Sea Punks crew medical team performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on two other children, saving one’s life.

A Maltese rescue helicopter evacuated a pregnant woman and a seriously injured man, while an Italian coastguard vessel picked up the other 15 survivors and the bodies of the two children.

Survivors told rescuers that the boat set off with 21 people, Sea Punks added, leaving two missing.

Earlier, Italian news agency ANSA reported that 15 migrants had been rescued and three were found dead, with three others still missing.