Barcelons, Sept 5:
At least five people died and dozens more were feared dead after a boat carrying West African migrants ran into trouble in the Atlantic Ocean while attempting to reach the Canary Islands.
Spain’s Maritime Rescue Service spotted the precarious vessel about 120 km south of Gran Canaria on Wednesday. Forty-four people were rescued.
Three survivors were evacuated by helicopter to a hospital, while 41 others were taken ashore and provided assistance by the Red Cross.
All the survivors were men, including some believed to be minors, and were identified as being from Mali or Senegal.
The tragedy highlights the continuing dangers faced by migrants attempting the perilous Atlantic crossing to Spain’s Canary Islands.These are written in a clean international-news style and can be tightened further for print-space constraints if needed.