Valletta, Malta - Some 150 would-be illegal immigrants remained in a watery limbo off the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa on Saturday as Italy and Malta traded accusations of failure to live up to their international obligations.

The group of African immigrants was rescued from two separate boats by a Turkish cargo ship near Lampedusa on Thursday in an operation coordinated by the Armed Forces of Malta.

Unconfirmed media reports in Italy claim that some of the immigrants have taken over the engine room and barricaded themselves in it and that a pregnant woman on board the vessel had died.

The ship captain informed the UNHCR that some 40 immigrants were in need of medical attention.

The Turkish vessel was refused entry into Italian waters by the Italian authorities, who insist that the migrants should be brought to Malta, which is responsible for the search and rescue region.

Malta is insisting, however, that in terms of international conventions, the migrants have to be landed at the nearest safe port, in this case Lampedusa.

Italian Home Affairs Minister Roberto Maroni accused Malta of dumping the immigrants on Italy and asked EU Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot to intervene and persuade Malta to assume its responsibilities.

But Maltese Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici said the smallest EU state could not accept migrants found closer to Italian ports.

In the meantime up to 300 illegal immigrants landed on the Italian island of Sicily on Saturday, local media reported. (dpa)