Three men have been arrested on suspicion of gang-raping a woman aboard a migrant boat making a deadly crossing across the Atlantic.

The arrests took place when the vessel arrived at the Spanish holiday island of Lanzarote, following a journey that started from the coast of Morocco.

According to reports, all three suspects taken into custody by police are in their twenties.

The crossing itself resulted in heavy loss of life, with more than a dozen people believed to have died during the perilous transit at sea.

The journey across the open Atlantic toward Lanzarote is widely recognised as dangerous, but this specific crossing has seen both fatal casualties and serious criminal allegations.

What we know so far is that the alleged assault occurred while the vessel was making its way toward the Canary Islands from North Africa.

Police intervened directly as soon as the vessel reached land, moving swiftly to detain the three suspects at the scene.

What we do not know yet are the identities of the victim or the men who were detained, as authorities have not published further personal details.

The exact circumstances surrounding how more than a dozen people died on the journey also remain to be clarified as inquiries continue.

Under Spanish law, the three men remain under investigation on suspicion of gang-rape as formal proceedings develop.

I will be following this story closely and will update you as soon as further verified facts emerge from the authorities.