A cruise ship rescued nearly seventy migrants heading to the Canary Islands. Five bodies were also found in the wooden boat in which the migrants were traveling.

An oil tanker spotted the floating boat about 815 kilometers south of Tenerife and contacted Spanish authorities. Due to concerns for the fate of those on board, the Coast Guard ordered the cruise ship Insignia, which was sailing nearby, to assist.

The cruise ship crew rescued 68 people. Three bodies were also recovered. Due to bad weather, the Insignia crew was unable to remove the remaining two bodies. So they left a Coast Guard GPS tracker with the deceased.

On board the cruise ship, rescued migrants receive medical care, food, drinks and clothing. The Coast Guard is on its way to the ship by boat and will then search for the wreckage of the wooden boat. The Insignia is expected to dock at the port of Santa Cruz in Tenerife tomorrow.

The Spanish archipelago, relatively close to the coasts of Morocco and Mauritania, is a popular destination for immigrants from Africa. Spain is seeing more and more people taking a boat trip. According to Interior Ministry figures, more than 55,000 migrants arrived by boat last year. This year there are 23,000 so far. Most of them arrive in the Canary Islands.

However, it is a dangerous road, with storms and high waves. Then weak vessels can capsize easily. According to the human rights organization Walking Borders, nearly 5,000 people were killed on the road in the first months of this year.