RABAT, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- A total of 11 illegal migrants have drowned and 31 others have been rescued after their boat sank off Morocco's northern city of Nador, local government said Tuesday.
The rescued were sent to a local hospital to receive treatment, the government said, noting that the boat's sailor, who is a Malian national, was arrested.
Search operations are underway to arrest another Malian citizen suspected of organizing this illegal migration attempt, it added.
An investigation is also ongoing to determine the exact circumstances of the accident, it said.
Morocco has become a hub for African migrants who seek to reach Europe for a better life.
Thousands of migrants are trying to flee poverty and unrest in Africa each year via Morocco to Europe, either by land into Ceuta and Melilla, two Spanish ports in the Moroccan territory, or by sea to Spain or Italy, often in flimsy vessels.
In recent months, illegal migration attempts have further intensified.
According to Moroccan authorities, security services thwarted at least 54,000 attempts to smuggle illegal migrants into Europe in the first eight months of 2018, compared with 39,000 attempts a year earlier.
