The bodies of four shipwrecked migrants who were trying to reach Europe aboard a makeshift boat were recovered off the coast of Mostaganem (northeast), five others having been rescued, the official press agency said on Thursday. APS.
The boat of this group of migrants, all of Algerian nationality, capsized 90 km east of Mostaganem, the same source said, without further details on the circumstances of the sinking.
The coast guard continued to search at sea to find possible other victims of the accident.
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Earlier in the day, the coast guard had already intercepted a handcrafted boat aboard which were sixteen emigrant candidates, 15 km off Mostaganem, the Algerian agency added.
They must appear in court for
"attempting to leave the national territory at sea illegally"
.
In Algeria, a law passed in 2009 punishes up to six months in prison any attempt to leave the national territory clandestinely.
It also punishes smugglers with sentences of up to 20 years in prison.
Despite this law, Algerians regularly try to reach Europe by crossing the Mediterranean, risking their lives.