Granada, Spain  - Fourteen African would-be immigrants were feared to have drowned off southern Spain on Monday after their boat capsized amid four-metre waves, officials said.

Twenty-three Nigerians were rescued at about 100 kilometres off Motril in the morning.

An aircraft and several vessels were searching for 14 other migrants, including a minor and four women. The boat had set out from Morocco on Saturday.

Rescuers said stormy weather hampered their efforts, making it difficult to find the victims alive.

Thousands of Africans are believed to have drowned in attempts to cross over to the Spanish mainland or the Canary Islands. (dpa)