MADRID, Sept 3, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Seven migrants were found dead on two 
beaches in southern Spain on Wednesday after their boats sank, local 
authorities told AFP.

Six bodies were discovered at dawn on Los Muertos beach in Carboneras in the 
southern region of Andalusia, while another was found on the nearby Las 
Salinas beach in Cabo de Gata, a source close to the investigation said.

The shipwrecks happened overnight but the bodies were discovered at dawn.

Twenty-six migrants were rescued from a boat which ran aground on the Los 
Muertos beach. It was not clear how many people in total were travelling on 
it.

The other boat which reached Cabo da Gata was carrying 38 people.

The authorities have not ruled out the possibility of finding more bodies in 
the area in the coming hours.

The migrants are believed to have departed from Algeria, the source said.

Spain is one of the three main entry points for irregular migrants heading 
for Europe, along with Italy and Greece.

Authorities say thousands have died in recent years attempting the Atlantic 
crossing from Africa, mainly toward Spain's Canary Islands.

Between January and August, 21,721 people arrived in Spain by sea, including 
4,722 on the mainland, according to interior ministry data.

The figures show 357 boats reached the mainland between January 1 and August 
31.

Arrivals in the Canary Islands -- the main entry point for migrants in Spain 
-- have fallen sharply this year, down 35 percent compared with the same 
period in 2024.

Strong ocean currents and ramshackle vessels make the long crossing to the 
Canary Islands especially dangerous.

In contrast, the migration route from North Africa to the Balearics in the 
calmer Mediterranean has seen a surge this year, up 79 percent.