A MIGRANT was killed and eight others injured as a 300 strong gang tried to jump a border fence to enter Spanish territory.

According to police reports, the breach took place at around 6am on Thursday morning at the border fence between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Melilla.

In the chaos, one migrant of unknown origin, fell 16ft from the fence to his death.

At the moment it is not clear whether the man died from injuries sustained in the fall or from a subsequent heart attack.

Among the eight injured, three Guardia Civil officers were treated for minor injuries including bruising and a dislocated shoulder.

Of the 300 attempted breaches, only 30 managed to enter Spin, where they will be PCR tested and held before processing.

This latest death comes as maritime rescue vessels recovered a boat heading for the Canary Islands with the bodies of 10 migrants on board last week.

The boat had reportedly left Mauritania on August 15 with 40 passengers but got into difficulty close to Spanish waters, 85 miles south of Gran Canaria.

Since August last year, approximately 3,500 migrants have made it onto Spanish territory, an increase of 17% from 2018-19.

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