Costa de Almería
Passengers on sinking immigrant boat rescued off Almería
By m.p. - Oct 8, 2009 - 12:37 PM
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One of the migrants arrested in Santa Pola, Alicante, this week - EFE
A French patrol boat rescued another patera off the coast of Murcia
A boatload of illegal immigrants were rescued early on Thursday as they were sailing adrift and in danger of sinking six miles off the south western shore of Punta de la Polacra in Cabo de Gata. There were 12 male adults on board the five metre boat, which was in such a bad condition after the trip by sea that it could not be towed by the Civil Guard vessel which found them after the migrants were spotted by the SIVE electronic surveillance system.
A further 12 people were rescued by a French patrol boat off the coast of Cartagena the previous day, reaching port at around 8pm on Wednesday. It’s understood that one of the passengers had to be treated for minor burns from the fuel used for the boat’s engine.
All 24 migrants rescued in the two separate operations are believed to be from Algeria.
It follows a massive wave of immigrant arrivals on Spain’s south eastern coast since Sunday.