Spanish coastguards are searching in the Mediterranean for 22 missing migrants who are feared to have fallen from a boat as they tried to reach mainland Spain.
The coastguard found one dead person and 40 survivors on the boat 10 miles off the coast of Almeria in southeast Spain. The number of missing was given to the coastguard by survivors, according to press reports.
A spokesman at the Development Ministry said the search was continuing. It was not clear what nationality the migrants were.
Migrants from North Africa are constantly attempting to enter Spain by boat across the Mediterranean and from West Africa into the Canary Islands.
Would-be migrants have also tried to enter Spain's North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, resulting in the shooting to death of several people by Moroccan security forces earlier this year.