At least 14 migrants drown off Morocco while trying to reach Spain

DPA
·1 min read
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Migrants trying to reach the Italian island of Lampedusa from the northern coast of Africa are apparently adrift in the Mediterranean Sea with engine trouble. Sea rescuers from German aid organizations have taken more than 200 migrants on board their ships in the central Mediterranean in the past few days, the groups said. Oliver Weiken/dpa
Migrants trying to reach the Italian island of Lampedusa from the northern coast of Africa are apparently adrift in the Mediterranean Sea with engine trouble. Sea rescuers from German aid organizations have taken more than 200 migrants on board their ships in the central Mediterranean in the past few days, the groups said. Oliver Weiken/dpa

At least 14 people have died off the coast of Morocco after the small boat they were travelling in got into trouble as they attempted to reach Spain's Canary Islands, an aid organization said.

Some 58 people were on the dinghy at the time of the incident, Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras said. The survivors were found clinging to the vessel.

The Canary Islands, located off the north-western coast of Africa, have seen a sharp increase in arrivals of boats carrying irregular migrants since the beginning of October.

Spain's Interior Ministry registered an 80% year-on-year increase in the number of Canary Islands arrivals between January 1 and October 15.

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) reports that more than 38,000 migrants from Africa have reached the islands this year so far.

Caminando Fronteras said at least 778 migrants died in the first six months of the year while trying to make the dangerous crossing from West Africa across the Atlantic to the islands.