- 48 missing in Canary Islands migrant sinking
- Nine confirmed dead, including a child
- Surge in crossings as calm seas persist
Patrol boats and helicopters resumed the search on Sunday for around 48 people missing after a migrant boat sank off the coast of Spain’s El Hierro island. The tragic incident, which took place early Saturday, could become the deadliest migrant boat sinking in 30 years of crossings from Africa to the Canary Islands.
Nine people, including a child, have been confirmed dead. Rescuers managed to save 27 of the 84 passengers on board, according to emergency services. The Spanish coastguard is leading the renewed search with three patrol boats and three helicopters.
The migrants onboard hailed from Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal, according to Spanish authorities.
The migrant boat sank approximately four miles (six kilometers) east of El Hierro, shortly after emergency services received a distress call after midnight on Saturday. High winds and poor visibility severely hindered the rescue efforts.
Candelaria Delgado, a Canary Islands government official, warned that this tragedy could signal the biggest humanitarian crisis in the region in 30 years. “If more migrant boats arrive as expected, this will be the largest crisis we’ve seen in three decades,” she told reporters.
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Among the rescued, three individuals were treated for hypothermia and dehydration. The nine victims will be laid to rest on Monday and Tuesday, with local authorities preparing a morgue on El Hierro as hopes for more survivors dwindle.
The victims included a child between the ages of 12 and 15, according to the NGO Walking Borders, which assists migrants.
Three additional migrant boats successfully reached the Canary Islands overnight, carrying a total of 208 people.
Calm seas and favorable winds in the late summer have led to a surge in migrant crossings, local officials reported earlier this month. Data from Frontex, the European Union’s border agency, showed that the number of migrants making the perilous journey to the Canary Islands had risen by 154% in 2024, with 21,620 arrivals recorded in the first seven months of the year.
The deadliest migrant shipwreck from West Africa to the Canary Islands occurred in 2009 near Lanzarote, where 25 people lost their lives.
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