Twenty-two illegal immigrants die off Almeria coast

TWENTY-TWO immigrants, at least two of them minors, died at sea when the boat on which they were travelling sank off the coast of Almeria. Another 31 who were travelling on the same boat were rescued by Life Guards. They were suffering from severe hypothermia. Three of them had to be taken to hospital.

The bodies of two children, one a girl just one year old, and two adults males were pulled out of the water shortly afterwards while searches continued for the other victims.

The sub-Saharan would-be immigrants had travelled to Algeria, and from there to Nador, in Morocco, where they took to the sea in a small boat. They almost made it, but 23 miles from the coast of Adra, one of the sides broke and several of them fell into the water.