Paris  - Up to 21 illegal immigrants drowned when the small boat
in which they were travelling sank off the French overseas territory of
Mayotte, in the Indian Ocean, the island's police said on Friday.

According to the 12 people rescued by fishermen and taken to
hospital, the boat was carrying 26 adults and seven children when it
apparently struck a coral reef and sank shortly after midnight local
time.

Two bodies have been found in the sea and another 19, five of them
children, were missing. Little hope was held out for finding them
alive, police said. (dpa)