Hospitals in Malta were on standby and had been told to expect a good number of sick passengers. A number of boats with evacuees of different nationalities were expected in Malta. Al-Jazeera said there were reports that "many Americans" were said have fallen ill on the ferry because of the rough seas.
The unrest rocking Libya is the latest in a wave of pro-democracy fervor that's swept North Africa in recent weeks. The protests have already toppled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Tunisia's Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Rallies were also taking place today in Yemen, Bahrain, Egypt and Iraq, where five protesters have been killed by security forces. Baghdad is under lockdown.