137 migrants rescued off Spain

A NEW FLOOD of North African migrants were safe today on southern Spanish shores, after a merchant ship sent an alert, Spain's maritime safety agency Sasemar said.

Eight small wooden vessels carrying 137 migrants were intercepted off coasts of Almeria and Granada since 20 June.

On Saturday, the merchant ship Cuidad de Cadiz alerted Sasemar about a vessel carrying 16 North Africans about 31 n-miles southeast of Cabo de Gata, Sasemar said.

Migrants were then found on seven more vessels over the weekend, Sasemar said.

All this followed the rescue of nine Algerians from the sea by the 109,798dwt bulker SKS Trinity off Cabo de Palos, southern Spain, on 17 June. They had capsized and were about to drown. One of the migrants died of hypothermia after being rescued.

A NEW FLOOD of North African migrants were safe today on southern Spanish shores, after a merchant ship sent an alert, Spain's maritime safety agency Sasemar said.

(Source: American  Shipper)