Five migrants die off Morocco, Spain searches for more boats

Five migrants have died trying to cross the Mediterranean, the Spanish coastguard said today after rescuing 54 others, while bad weather was hindering a search for another two boats with dozens aboard.

Rescue boats and a helicopter from southern Spain carried out the rescue late Wednesday, a spokeswoman said.

They spotted two boats but one had capsized, and four migrants were already dead in the water some 40 kilometres off Morocco's coast. Another of those rescued later died of cardiac arrest, the spokeswoman said. On Thursday, rescuers were searching for another two boats in the Alboran Sea between Morocco and Spain's Andalusian coast, with a total of 107 people on board.

But the coastguard said helicopters were grounded because of bad weather and only rescue boats have been able to go out to sea.

Spain is the third busiest gateway for migrants arriving in Europe, still far behind Italy but catching up fast with Greece.

Many Africans undertaking the long route to Europe are choosing to avoid crossing danger-ridden Libya to get to Italy along the so-called central Mediterranean route, choosing instead to get there via Morocco and Spain.

According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 28,700 people arrived in Spain by sea and land last year, double the number for 2016.

Some 223 people died along the way.

So far this year, at least 3,778 migrants have arrived in Spain, with more than 180 losing their lives trying to cross the Mediterranean.