Aid group: 57 dead as African migrant boat aims for Canaries

MADRID (AP) — A humanitarian aid group that monitors the plight of migrants making dangerous sea voyages to Spain says that 57 people have died trying to reach the Canary Islands from Morocco on a boat. Helena Maleno, founder of nongovernmental organization Walking Borders, tweeted that those on the boat who died Thursday were 28 women, 17 men and 12 children. She provided no further details. Contacted by The Associated Press, neither Spain’s maritime rescue service nor emergency services in the Canary Islands had information. The Atlantic route from the west coast of Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands has become one of the deadliest routes for those desperate to reach Europe.