Mauritanian coast guard rescue 109 immigrants at sea

The Mauritanian coast guard rescued 109 illegal African immigrants whose boat had broken down in Mauritanian waters en route to Spain's Canary Islands, a security source told AFP Sunday.

"There were 110, one of them had died, and the coast guards were able to rescue the others. Two of them were admitted on the hospital in (the northern city of) Nouadhibou where they are now in stable condition," the source said. The illegal immigrants left neighbouring Senegal over ten days ago hoping to reach the Canary Islands, which are part of the European Union, but their boat had engine troubles, the source said. With food and water running out, the immigrants had begun drinking sea water. Fatigue, hunger and the cold left them weakened, he added.  

The rescued immigrants, who included 47 Malians, 25 Senegalese, 18 Guineans, nine Ivorians and other West Africans, will be repatriated in the coming days. Mauritania is an important transit point for would-be immigrants hoping to reach the Canary Islands in small open boats known locally as pirogues.