Nine people have been confirmed drowned, and at least 48 are missing after a boat carrying migrants sank near Spain’s Canary Islands overnight, according to The Guardian.
Rescue teams responded to a distress call near El Hierro shortly after midnight and managed to save 27 of the 84 people on board. Survivors reported that the boat had departed from Nuadibu in Mauritania, about 500 miles away, and may have had as many as 90 people on it, including four minors.
Anselmo Pestana, head of the Canary Islands prefecture, noted the importance of keeping those on the distressed boat calm during the rescue to prevent it from sinking. The migrants had been without food or water for two days, which likely contributed to the panic that led to the capsizing.
The rescue operation involved five ships, three helicopters, and one plane. This incident follows the deaths of 39 migrants in early September when their boat sank off Senegal while trying to reach the Canaries.
Regional president Fernando Clavijo highlighted the dangers of the Atlantic route, calling for urgent action from Spain and the EU to address this ongoing crisis, as lives are lost just off Europe’s southern border.
So far this year, 22,304 migrants have arrived in the Canaries, a significant increase from the previous year. The Atlantic route remains perilous, with many overcrowded and poorly equipped boats struggling against strong currents.
The International Organization for Migration estimates that 4,857 people have died trying to cross this route since 2014, though many organizations believe the real number is much higher.