A baby that was born aboard a makeshift boat carrying migrants from Africa to the Canary Islands did not survive the journey, Spanish rescuers said on Wednesday after picking up the rickety vessel.

The tiny infant, whose sex was unclear, was one of 43 people crammed onto an inflatable boat that was discovered floating some 15 nautical miles off Arrecife, the main port city on the island of Lanzarote, the Salvamento Maritimo rescue service said. Speaking to AFP, a spokeswoman said rescuers knew that "a woman had given birth on board the boat" and when the vessel was brought ashore, the emergency services confirmed the newborn's death.

An emergency services spokeswoman said it was not immediately clear why the baby had died, saying they had taken three people to hospital - the infant's mother, another pregnant woman and a 12-year-old boy suffering from hypoglycemia or low blood sugar levels.