Spanish rescue officials on Monday found the bodies of 10 north African immigrants who died while trying to cross the Mediterranean in makeshift rafts.
Eight of the bodies had washed up on the beach including a 10-year-old child and woman, while two other corpses were found floating in the water, rescue services said.
The bodies of the dead were found about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Tarifa, on the Spanish coast facing Morocco, alongside the wrecked remains of their makeshift raft.
The Spanish coast guard was also searching for 27 others whose boat had been adrift in the Mediterranean, south of Almeria, for some 12 hours.
A rescue party including boats and a helicopter was organized to try to find the boat after one of the immigrants used his portable phone to call for help late Sunday.
The incident adds to a growing death toll of illegal immigrants trying to cross the Mediterranean into Spain from north Africa.
Official estimates say 500 people die each year making the attempt -- TARIFA, Spain (AFP)
