Thirty-nine migrants died after a boat carrying them sank in the Atlantic Ocean waters off the Canary Islands, according to the Spanish non-governmental organization "Caminando Fronteras" announced on Wednesday.

The Spanish Coast Guard announced that it recovered the body of a minor and that its personnel rescued 24 other migrants from the ocean waters.

The Spanish non-governmental organization "Caminando Fronteras," which monitors migrant deaths and provides assistance to their families, stated on Twitter that a total of 39 people drowned, including four women and a child.

Helena Maleno, an official from "Caminando Fronteras," also said the boat waited more than 12 hours for help to arrive.

The spokesperson for the Spanish Coast Guard said a helicopter belonging to the agency headed to the area in response to a request for help made by Moroccan authorities, found the body of the minor but did not spot any survivors.

The boat sank about 160 kilometers off the southeastern coasts of the island of "Gran Canaria" (Great Canary).

Attempts by migrants to cross the Atlantic from West Africa to the Canary Archipelago have also increased in recent years, after authorities tightened measures against irregular immigration across the Mediterranean Sea.

The Atlantic Ocean is known for its strong currents that make such crossing attempts extremely dangerous.

Also, on Tuesday, rescue workers found the body of a pregnant woman aboard a boat carrying about 50 migrants off the Canary Archipelago.

Spain is considered a major gateway for migrants seeking a better life in Europe.

According to a report issued by "Caminando Fronteras" at the end of 2022, more than 11,200 migrants have died or gone missing since 2018 while attempting to reach Spain by sea.

At least 82 migrants died last week off the coasts of Greece in a shipwreck involving a vessel carrying them from Libya to Italy.

Authorities in Europe still do not have a clear idea of the number of people on board the sunken ship, with estimates ranging between 400 and more than 700 migrants, in one of the worst migrant shipwreck disasters in the Mediterranean.

Meanwhile, the Greek police arrested nine people holding Egyptian nationality suspected of being traffickers, including the ship's captain, and on Wednesday they were charged with "illegal human smuggling."