MADRID (AFP) -- Another 120 illegal immigrants reached Spain's Canary Islands, landing on the island of Gran Canaria, rescue services said, amid reports another had died and two corpses had been thrown overboard.

Local authorities contacted by AFP were unable immediately to confirm media reports that one had died during the trip, but the usually well-informed Cadena Ser radio quoted one survivor as saying one person had been found dead on arrival and another two bodies had earlier been thrown overboard.

Rescue services said three people were in hospital suffering from hypothermia and several others also required treatment after their boat beached at around 1:30 pm.

Some 31,000 illegal immigrants have made it to the Canaries in the past 12 months, four times the previous record for the same period, according to islands governor Jose Segura.

The regional government estimates that some 6,000 more died or at least remain unaccounted for during perilous voyages from the west African coast.

Last Saturday, almost 200 illegals reached Spain, around half making it to the Canaries and the remainder to the southern region of Almeria on the mainland.

The waves of arrivals have encouraged Spain to sign a series of cooperation accords with African states aimed at stepping up coastline surveillance, while the EU frontiers agency Frontex has also joined coastal and air surveillance patrols.

The Canary authorities also announced in November they were reinforcing coastal monitoring.