TWO refugees who died trying to reach Europe by sea could have been saved had the Maltese maritime authorities not delayed their rescue operation, activists said today.

Activist-run distress hotline organisation Alarm Phone first alerted the authorities on Monday to a boat carrying 25 people in Malta’s search-and-rescue (SAR) zone.

Alarm Phone said that evening that the people had left the Libyan city of Benghazi four days before. The survivors, the activists said, “reported a dramatic situation onboard, including the death of two minors.”