A somber search operation is currently taking place off the coast of El Hierro in Spain’s Canary Islands following a tragic incident in which at least 48 migrants went missing after their boat capsized. The boat, which was in the process of being rescued, overturned on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of at least nine individuals.
As rescue teams resumed their efforts on Sunday, hopes of finding survivors remained low. “The search operation is resuming,” confirmed Spain’s maritime rescue organization in a statement. The regional president of the Canaries, Fernando Clavijo, addressed the media on Saturday evening, indicating that the missing migrants are now “presumed dead.” He warned that more bodies may wash ashore in the coming days due to the currents.
Initial reports state that the ill-fated vessel had set off from Nouadhibou in Mauritania, approximately 800 kilometers (nearly 500 miles) away. The situation escalated when the migrants, who had endured two days without food or water, panicked and rushed to one side of the precarious boat upon the arrival of rescuers, causing it to capsize. Anselmo Pestana, head of the Canary Islands prefecture, expressed concern over the migrants’ desperate situation during a press briefing at the La Estaca port.
While 27 migrants were successfully rescued and nine bodies were recovered, Spanish officials noted that the boat may have been carrying up to 90 people, significantly higher than the previously reported figure of 84. This raises the number of missing individuals to over 50, intensifying the urgency of the search operation.
This tragedy is part of a disturbing pattern of maritime disasters off the coast of Africa. Just earlier this month, 39 migrants lost their lives when another boat sank off the coast of Senegal while attempting to reach the Canary Islands, a key waypoint for those hoping to reach mainland Europe.
Over the past few years, thousands of migrants have tragically perished attempting to cross the Atlantic in overcrowded and often unseaworthy vessels. The dangers inherent in these perilous journeys highlight the urgent need for comprehensive solutions to address the ongoing migrant crisis.
