At least six migrants die trying to reach Spain

MADRID (Reuters) -At least six migrants have died while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Spain's southern coast, authorities said on Wednesday.

The bodies were discovered off the coast of Carboneras in the province of Almeria, the municipal civil protection and Andalusia's regional emergency services said.

Three of the deceased were found on a stretch of the coastline grimly named Playa de los Muertos, or "Beach of the Dead", as historically bodies from shipwrecks used to wash up on the beach due to the currents.

The authorities believe the six had died during the crossing on several boats that ended up reaching the coast. It was not immediately clear how many survivors were on board.

Spain, particularly its Canary Islands in the Atlantic, remains one of the primary gateways into the European Union for migrants and asylum-seekers from Africa. However, the number of arrivals has seen a decline from last year's peak.

According to the latest figures, almost 24,000 irregular migrants have reached Spain so far this year, down by one-third from the same period in 2024.

(Reporting by Emma Pinedo, editing by Andrei Khalip, Alexandra Hudson)