40 migrants rescued as boat sinks during rescue

Migrants from Syria and Libya wait in a wooden boat as they are assisted by Spanish NGO Open Arms during a rescue operation (Francisco Seco/AP/PA)

A Spanish maritime rescue group helped pull some 40 people from the Mediterranean after their overcrowded wooden boat capsized during a rescue operation.

The group Open Arms tweeted that all the passengers survived and were transferred to an Italian coast guard ship on Thursday.