Five people were killed when a fishing vessel that was stranded in rough waters and attempting to reach the Spanish Canary Islands, was rescued by a luxury cruise ship.

In recent years, the archipelago became the main entry point for illegal migrants coming from Africa to Spain. It is also the most dangerous route. Walking Borders, a migration rights group, said last week that 5,000 migrants had died at sea in the first five month of 2024 on this route.

The Coast Guard reported that the bulk carrier Philipp Oldendorff saw the boat drifting 440 nautical mile (815 km), south of Tenerife, on Wednesday. It provided the first aid to the migrants while the Insignia Cruise Ship diverted into the area to rescue the survivors.

The Insignia owned by Oceania Cruises in Miami also recovered three bodies, but bad weather prevented recovery of two more bodies. So the ship left behind a locating device for the search.

A small luxury cruise ship, with 670 passengers on board, is currently undertaking a 180 day trip around the globe that began in January. The ship was scheduled to arrive in Tenerife on Friday at 7 am (0600 GMT).

A spokesperson for Oceania Cruises (owned by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings) said that "safety at sea is paramount for all seafarers."

The spokesperson said: "We can confirm the Insignia saved 68 people who were on a ship in distress between Cape Verde, Tenerife and the Canary Islands. They were brought aboard for medical attention and given food, drink, clothing, and a place to rest."

On Thursday, a Spanish coast guard ship was on its way from the Canary Islands to the Insignia in order to locate the shipwreck. (Reporting and editing by Aislinn laing and Emma Pinedo)