Canary Islands - A boat carrying 229 African would-be immigrants landed on the Spanish Canary Island of Tenerife overnight, rescuers said Tuesday.

It was the largest number of Africans to arrive on a single vessel so far, officials told the national radio station RNE.

The migrants, who were all male, included 25 minors. They were in relatively good health, although six were treated for hypothermia.

A rescue plane spotted the 30-metre-long boat at about 100 kilometres off the Canary Islands, and a rescue vessel towed it to the port of Los Cristianos.

The boat had set sail from the Mauritanian port of Nouadhibou four days earlier, according to its occupants.

Thousands of Africans cross over to the Canary Islands annually. (dpa)