Valletta, Malta - Two infants were flown Tuesday by helicopter to Malta's general hospital after they were rescued from a shipwreck involving would-be immigrants.

The pair, whose condition was described as "critical" by officials, were part of a group whose boat capsized some 60 nautical miles south of Malta.

The exact number of would-be immigrants involved in the shipwreck was not immediately known, officials said.

Tuesday's incident took place some two weeks after 70 Africans drowned as they tried to make their way to mainland Europe. Eight of the would-be immigrants survived by clinging on to their half- submerged dinghy until they were rescued. (dpa)