Three bodies were found amongst the passengers of a small cayuco which was intercepted last night off Gran Canaria.
An Air Force reconnaissance plane spotted the cayuco about 60 miles south of Gran Canaria and it was then intercepted by a vessel from the Marine Rescue Service.
On board the cayuco, Marine Rescue discoverd the bodies of three passengers who had died on the long journey. The remaining 74 passengers, 10 of them children, were then taken to the port of Arguineguin.
The immigrants, in poor health after eight to ten days at sea, are thought to be from the Gambia.