Thirteen migrants die trying to reach Spain

MADRID - Thirteen migrants died trying to reach Spain by boat and another 22 were rescued from their flimsy vessel south of the Canary Islands on Thursday, the government said.

The survivors had been adrift without food or water for eight days and had thrown the bodies of 12 of their fellow travellers overboard.

The thirteenth migrant perished after a fishing boat found the makeshift boat and started to rescue the group on Thursday, the Development Ministry said.

The nationalities of the migrants were not given, but the Canary Islands are just 200 km from the west coast of Africa and every year hundreds of Africans risk death to try to find a better life in Europe.

- REUTERS