69 African migrants traveling on a rubber dinghy were located Tuesday south of Malaga after their boat had gone missing for one day. The migrants were brought to Motril, Granada, the Spanish maritime rescue service said.
Sailors on a merchant ship spotted the missing migrant boat some 36 nautical miles (67 kilometers) south of the Spanish port city of Malaga, the Spanish rescue service Salvamento Marítimo said Tuesday.
Spanish authorities had been searching for the boat since it went missing on Monday.
The boat was carrying 69 migrants; initial report said it had 67 migrants on board. According to news agency AP, they include 13 women and five children. Salvamento Marítiomo rescued the group and brought them to safety in Motril harbor in Granada, southern Spain. All rescuees were reported to be in good health.
An unnamed rescue charity had informed Spanish authorities Monday about the boat’s departure from the Moroccan coast.
Also on Monday, two boats carrying 119 migrants were found and rescued by Spanish authorities in the Alboran Sea, east of the Strait of Gibraltar that separates Europe and Africa.
The 119 migrants disembarked safely in Malaga.
With AP, dpa