Four Migrants Drown Off Morocco in Bid for Canaries
The bodies of four migrants bidding to reach Spain's Canary Islands were recovered off southern Morocco's Atlantic coast Wednesday, a day after 19 others were rescued from a rubber boat, officials said.
The four drowned migrants were found near Tan-Tan, across from the islands, said the officials, quoted by Morocco's MAP news agency.
Their nationalities were not immediately known.
On Tuesday, maritime police rescued 19 others on a rubber boat that had run into trouble off Tan-Tan, in an area some 150 kilometers (90 miles) from the Canaries.
Most African migrants heading out from Morocco aim to reach Europe across the Strait of Gibraltar which is only 15 kilometers (nine miles) wide.
Spanish authorities last year announced having rescued 3,500 migrants trying to reach its shores on dangerous and ill-equipped boats, a 55-percent spike over the previous year.
Source: Agence France Presse
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