The bodies of three migrants have been recovered in recent hours from waters off the coast of Alicante province.

According to the Guardia Civil, the body of a man was found off El Campello on Wednesday. The body of a child was discovered near Cabo de las Huertas on Thursday morning, and the body of a woman was later recovered close to Tabarca island. All three were in an advanced state of decomposition.

The victims have not yet been identified. Investigators believe they may have been travelling in one or more small boats that left North Africa, possibly Algeria, before getting into difficulty at sea. It has not been confirmed how long the bodies had been in the water or whether the three were on the same vessel.

The remains have been taken to the Institute of Legal Medicine in Alicante, where post-mortem examinations are due to be carried out. The Judicial Police of the Guardia Civil are leading the investigation to establish the cause of death and reconstruct what happened.