Spanish officials said 29 of the ill-fated boat's occupants have been rescued so far, with search operations still continuing for those missing. Those rescued say, the missing include a woman, two children and 19 men.
Officials have expressed doubts of finding any of the missing alive, as they believe it is unlikely that anyone could survive in the cold Mediterranean waters for more than ten hours. The ill-fated boat reportedly set sail from Morocco.
Such rescue operations and accidents are common in the area, as thousands of illegal African migrants attempt to reach Europe for a better life by crossing the Mediterranean Sea in flimsy boats and dinghies every year.
The coveted destination for most African migrants was the Spanish mainland or Spain's Canary Islands off the coast of West Africa until recently, but most of them are now attempting to reach the Italian island of Lampedusa.
The reduction in flow of African migrants to Spain is mostly due to increased cooperation with Morocco and other countries in Africa. The Spanish interior ministry says that some 3, 630 migrants arrived on the country's shores in 2010, indicating almost a 50% reduction when compared to the previous year.
Currently, Italy is struggling to cope with the recent surge in illegal North African migrants arriving on its shores. Italy says that more than 22,000 illegal migrants from north Africa have landed in the country's southern islands since mid-January.
