France, Aug. 4 -- At least 72 people died last Thursday when a mass influx of migrants attempted to enter Ceuta, a small Spanish enclave bordering Morocco in North Africa, a figure confirmed on Monday by the Spanish authorities.

For its part, the Moroccan Ministry of the Interior gave an initial toll of 11 deaths on Sunday evening.

In total, more than 50,000 people managed to reach the enclave - most having swum by sea around the border barrier - but almost all have since been returned to the neighbouring Moroccan town of Fnideq.

Spanish authorities estimated that between 2,500 and 5,000 are still in Ceuta.

However, the circumstances surrounding this humanitarian disaster are still far from clear.

'Humanitarian emergency' as influx o...