Spain rescues 408 migrants in Mediterranean

Spanish maritime rescue service said Sunday it had rescued 408 migrants over the weekend while trying to cross the Mediterranean from northern Africa.

As many as 115 migrants were rescued on Sunday while trying to cross the Straits of Gibraltar aboard five small boats while 293 others were rescued on Saturday aboard nine boats, it said.

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A maritime rescue service spokesman told AFP that the rescue teams were searching for three other boats carrying a large number of migrants in the Alboran Sea, east of the Strait of Gibraltar.

According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 22,400 people arrived in Spain by sea in 2017 while 223 people died during the journey.