5 migrants die in bid toreach Canary Islands

Five bodies were found after a migrant boat punctured near Lanzarote, with 97 people rescued by Spanish sea services.

MADRID:

Five bodies were found floating in the sea on Sunday after the inflatable boat they were travelling in punctured around 90 km off the Spanish island of Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands.

Spanish Sea rescue services spokesman said a rescue aircraft sighted two inflatable boats heading towards the archipelago, and that one of them had one of its floats deflated. The aircraft launched two life rafts and was able to rescue 17 people from one vessel and 80 from another, but five bodies were also found.

State agency EFE said the rescue services had in all rescued more than 1,500 people over the weekend. It also reported on Sunday that at least 48 migrants died trying to reach the Canary Islands in a boat that departed Mauritania three weeks ago.