About 80 people are confirmed to have died after a migrant boat got into difficulty off the coast of Gran Canaria, Spain's Maritime Rescue organisation has said.

Some 128 people were reported to have previously been on the vessel when emergency responders were called out on Wednesday.

The rescuers reached the boat - which had left The Gambia 27 days earlier - about midnight, and brought survivors on shore.

Helena Maleno, founder of NGO Walking Borders, said on social media that survivors reported ​three women and a baby were among those who died during the crossing.

Maritime Rescue told Reuters news agency that five ⁠bodies were on board the vessel when rescuers reached it.

A statement from Maritime Rescue to Sky News said: "Yesterday afternoon we located a migrants boat departed from Gambia on 7 August that was in high difficulty off the southern coast of Gran Canaria.

"We immediately sent assistance and rescuers, which reached the boat around midnight.

"At dawn this morning, we confirmed approximately 80 deaths, out of a total of 128 passengers. The survivors were taken to the Arguineguín pier and are being cared for by local authorities."

The bodies of many of those who died could not be recovered because of adverse ‌weather conditions, Maritime Rescue said.

Fernando Clavijo, the Canary Islands regional leader, said the tragedy underscored the need for a state policy on migration, especially after a deadly ‌migrant surge in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta in July.

He said on X: "It is intolerable that lives continue to be lost. The Canaries cannot get used to or accept as normal the fact that the Atlantic continues to ⁠be a death trap."

Spain's government has set itself apart on migration from other European countries, urging a more humanitarian approach and registering undocumented migrants to allow them to work and support its fast-growing economy.

It has led to criticism from countries like Morocco, which is paid by the EU to help reduce the level of migration from Africa to the bloc.

The Atlantic ​route from West Africa to the Canary Islands is one ⁠of the world's deadliest migration crossings.

The journey is attempted by thousands of migrants each year, who try to reach the Spanish territory in overcrowded boats, despite the risks ⁠posed by rough seas, strong currents and ​long distances.