Rescue teams, including patrol boats and helicopters, are continuing their search for 48 migrants still missing after their boat capsized near the Spanish island of El Hierro. The tragic incident, which occurred early Saturday, could become the deadliest migrant disaster in three decades of crossings from Africa to the Canary Islands.
Emergency services have confirmed the deaths of nine individuals, including a child, following the sinking of the vessel. Authorities managed to rescue 27 of the 84 migrants who were attempting the perilous journey to Spain on Saturday. Search operations resumed on Sunday with the deployment of three patrol boats and three helicopters, according to a spokesperson from the Spanish coastguard.
The migrants, hailing from Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal, made an emergency call just after midnight on Saturday, four miles off the coast of El Hierro. However, the boat sank during the rescue operation, hindered by strong winds and low visibility.
Candelaria Delgado, a representative of the Canary Islands government, warned of a growing humanitarian crisis. “Given what happened yesterday and with the anticipated arrival of more migrant boats, this could be the most severe humanitarian disaster the Canary Islands has seen in 30 years,” Delgado stated on Sunday.
Among the survivors, three were treated for hypothermia and dehydration, rescue services reported. The nine deceased, including a child between 12-15 years old, will be laid to rest on Monday and Tuesday. Authorities have set up a temporary morgue on El Hierro as hopes for finding more survivors diminish.
Meanwhile, three other migrant boats arrived in the Canary Islands overnight, carrying 208 additional migrants. Local officials noted that calmer seas and favorable weather conditions typical of late summer have spurred a new wave of migrant crossings. Data from the European Union’s border agency Frontex indicates a 154% surge in migration this year, with 21,620 people making the treacherous journey in the first seven months of 2024.
The deadliest migrant tragedy in the Canary Islands to date occurred in 2009, when 25 people lost their lives in a shipwreck near Lanzarote.
