Spanish coastguard rescues dozens of migrants

Madrid, The Gulf Observer: Spain’s coastguard has said it rescued 86 irregular migrants from sub-Saharan Africa from a boat off the Canary Islands that appeared to be the boat spotted earlier in the day by a rescue plane.

Among those rescued were 80 men and six women, who would be taken to Arguineguin port on Gran Canaria, the coastguard said on Monday, indicating they were expected to arrive around 1900 GMT.

The Salvamento Maritimo coastguard service had initially estimated “it could have around 200 people on board” but later said the estimate, made by the plane’s crew, was incorrect, saying it was “difficult to determine the number of people from the air.”

The boat had been spotted about 130 km (71 nautical miles) south of Gran Canaria with the coastguard saying it was located “in an area where (the plane was) looking for a vessel that left Senegal two weeks ago”.

“It’s very likely the same boat that we’ve been looking for,” the spokesperson had said.