October 26th, 2012
07:25 AM ET

14 dead in sinking off Moroccan coast

At least 14 passengers on a Spain-bound vessel died when the craft sunk off the coast of Morocco, a Moroccan official said Friday.

Mustapha Khalfi, Moroccan minister of communication, said the sinking took place Thursday in the Mediterranean Sea off the Moroccan city of Alhucemas.

The ship was headed from Morocco to Spain, Khalfi said. Spain's Maritime Rescue Service said a Spanish air force plane aided by rescue ships found the boat 18 miles from the Moroccan coast.

At least 70 people were on board, Khalfi said, and 17 have been rescued. Spanish authorities transported the survivors back to Morocco.

A search is under way for more survivors, Khalfi said.

The people on the ship are thought to be migrants escaping to Europe. Many Africans looking to flee their homelands have tried to reach Europe by boat.

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Filed under: Morocco • Rescues • Spain
soundoff (12 Responses)
  1. Emma

    This sounds pretty bad. I sure hope no one was hurt.

    October 26, 2012 at 7:39 am | Report abuse |
    • WDAY

      Apparently you did not read the article...there were 14 dead, probably drowning,
      and the bodies were recovered.

      October 26, 2012 at 11:31 am | Report abuse |
    • Emma

      I was talking about other people. Not those 14. Hopefully they'll be ok though. Maybe they can get resuscitated.

      October 26, 2012 at 12:14 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Trish

    I agree. Lots of people on that boat. Hope no one was hurt or injured.

    October 26, 2012 at 8:17 am | Report abuse |
  3. Irod

    Illegal immigration where officials on both sides fail to stop

    October 26, 2012 at 9:20 am | Report abuse |
  4. marc

    nx3pde Actually, all passengers were from subsaharian countries, none were moroccans. Ignorance and racism cannot be cured.

    October 26, 2012 at 9:06 pm | Report abuse |
  5. marc

    They get to Morocco illegally by land and then try to reach Spain. They are mostly from Senegal, Mali and other subsaharian countries. Im sure the Moroccan economy is currently much better than Spain's for any Moroccans to want to risk their lives.

    October 26, 2012 at 9:08 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Aboubakr

    Arabs hate black people. And that is not from today, it is in their blood

    October 27, 2012 at 2:03 am | Report abuse |
    • Moroccan

      You are very WRONG.. racism has no Race No Nation.

      October 29, 2012 at 8:36 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Name*Omo Naija

    Tribalism and other related vices r bourne of ignorance

    October 27, 2012 at 4:14 am | Report abuse |
  8. IBRAHIM OUAGLA

    they ask their secrifes and God is goin to punish them all is done in st vicent de pau in santander in cantabria

    October 27, 2012 at 1:13 pm | Report abuse |
  9. andrew

    true arabs hate blacks

    October 30, 2012 at 7:49 pm | Report abuse |
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