Twenty-five African illegal immigrants were feared to have drowned in two shipwrecks on Thursday and Friday when attempting to reach the Canary Island of Fuerteventura, Spanish police said.
A fisherman discovered the bodies of six immigrants near where their boat hit a rock on Friday. Four immigrants remained missing, while 18 managed to swim ashore.
Police meanwhile continued combing the coastal waters for 15 other Africans who went missing on Thursday.
The leaking boat carrying the immigrants capsized when police were trying to rescue them in windy weather. Their 13 companions were brought to safety.
The Canary Islands is one of the most popular routes for North and sub-Saharan Africans attempting to cross over from northwest Africa to Europe. – Sapa