Nine people have drowned and at least 48 are missing after a boat carrying migrants capsized off Spain's Canary Islands. Rescue services responded to a distress call off El Hierro, one of the islands in the Atlantic archipelago, shortly after midnight. They managed to save 27 people out of 84 on board.

Survivors told rescuers that the boat had set off from Nuadibu in Mauritania, some 800 kilometers away. They also suggested that there might have been as many as 90 people on board. Four of those rescued were minors.

The incident is the latest in a series of such disasters off the west coast of Africa. In recent years, there has been a surge in the number of migrants attempting to reach Europe by sea. Many of these migrants are fleeing poverty and violence in their home countries.

The Canary Islands are a popular destination for migrants because they are relatively close to the African mainland. However, the journey is dangerous, and many migrants have died trying to reach the islands.