Spain's coastguard said it had rescued 86 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa from a boat off the Canary Islands that had been spotted earlier in the day by a rescue plane.
Rescuers with Salvamento Maritimo had initially estimated "it could have around 200 people on board" but later said the estimate, made by the plane's crew, was incorrect, telling AFP it was "difficult to determine the number of people from the air".
Among those rescued were 80 men and six women, who would be taken to Arguineguin port on Gran Canaria, the coastguard said, indicating they were expected to arrive around 8pm Irish time.
The boat had been spotted about 71 nautical miles south of Gran Canaria with the coastguard saying it was located "in an area where (the plane was) looking for a vessel that left Senegal two weeks ago".
"It's very likely it is the same boat that we've been looking for," the spokeswoman had said.
Helena Maleno, head of Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras that helps boats in distress, confirmed that a boat had left the southern town of "Kafountine on 27 June with approximately 200 people on board".
"The families told us about the disappearance of the boat saying they had had no news for several days," she said in an audio message, indicating the NGO had alerted the Spanish and Moroccan authorities.
The Atlantic route is extremely perilous because of its strong currents, with migrants often setting sail in overcrowded boats which are unseaworthy.
Migrant crossings to the Atlantic archipelago began surging in late 2019 after increased patrols along Europe's southern coast dramatically reduced Mediterranean crossings.
