Madrid, Spain’s authorities reported today that dozens of migrants were rescued while attempting to reach the Canary Islands on a fishing boat that had been disabled by rough seas, resulting in the deaths of five people.
The Spanish Coast Guard stated that the bulk carrier “Philipp Oldendorff” spotted the drifting migrant boat 440 nautical miles (815 kilometres) south of Tenerife on Wednesday. The crew provided initial assistance to the migrants, while the cruise ship “Insignia” was redirected to the area to rescue the survivors.
The “Insignia” managed to retrieve three bodies from the boat, but adverse weather conditions prevented the retrieval of two additional bodies. Consequently, the ship left a location marker to facilitate further search efforts.
In recent years, the Canary Islands have become the primary entry point for illegal migrants from Africa to Spain, though the route remains the most dangerous maritime crossing.
Last week, the migration rights group Walking Borders reported that nearly 5,0
00 migrants had perished on this sea route during the first five months of 2024.
Source: Bahrain News Agency