Spain rescues 31 African migrants in Strait of Gibraltar

Spanish Coast Guard teams rescued 31 African migrants from a damaged boat in the Strait of Gibraltar yesterday.

Authorities in the Spanish autonomous city of Melilla said in a statement that “the Coast Guards team intervened after a boat was spotted at a distance from the city’s coast.”

According to the statement, the rescue teams were able to reach 31 migrants, including two women and two minors, on board the boat which was covered in water.

“The migrants were taken to the city of Melilla and they are in good health except for someone who suffered as a result of the high temperatures and required medical care,” the statement added.

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Human rights and immigration activist in the Melilla region, Helena Maleno, said Spanish authorities were still looking for ten missing migrants in the Strait of Gibraltar, including eight men, a woman and a child.

On Sunday, around 20 African migrants drowned in the Strait of Gibraltar near the coast of Melilla.