Approximately 48 individuals disappeared, while nine were recovered deceased, following a boat capsizing near the Canary Islands.
Nine individuals, including a minor, met their demise following the capsizing of their vessel in the early hours of Saturday. This unfortunate incident was confirmed by emergency and rescue services.
Out of the 84 migrants aiming to reach the Spanish coast, 27 were successfully rescued on Saturday. The rescue operation continued on Sunday, with three patrol boats and three helicopters in action, as reported by a spokesperson from the Spanish coastguard to Reuters.
The migrants hailed from Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal, as per Spanish authorities.
The number of migrants making the journey from West Africa to the Canary Islands surged by 154% from January to July, amounting to 21,620 in the first seven months, according to data from the European Union’s border agency Frontex. On the other hand, the number of crossings in the central and western Mediterranean decreased during the same period.
Crossings from Turkey to Greece increased by 57%, and over the English Channel to Britain by 22%.
Just past midnight on Saturday, Spanish emergency services received a distress call from the boat, located approximately 4 miles east of El Hierro. The rescue attempt ended tragically as the boat sank, making the operation incredibly challenging due to the presence of strong winds and poor visibility.
Candelaria Delgado, a representative from the Canary Islands government, predicted on Sunday that if the forecast for the arrival of migrant boats proves correct, the Canary Islands will experience its most significant humanitarian crisis in the past 30 years.
Three of the rescued migrants were diagnosed with hypothermia and dehydration, as reported by rescue services on Sunday.
The burial ceremony for the nine deceased migrants, including a child aged between 12 to 15, as per the NGO Walking Borders, is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.
As the prospects of finding more survivors started to dwindle, authorities set up a morgue on El Hierro.
Three other boats carrying 208 migrants navigated their way to the Canary Islands during the night.
The calm seas and mild winds commonly associated with late summer in the Atlantic Ocean off West Africa have recently encouraged a surge in migrants, as reported by local authorities this month.
In the past 30 years of migrant crossings to the islands, the deadliest shipwreck on record occurred in 2009 off the island of Lanzarote, resulting in 25 fatalities.
The surge in migrant journeys from West Africa to the Canary Islands has seen an increase of 154% from January to July, with 21,620 migrants attempting the crossing according to Frontex. Several of these migrants hail from countries in Europe, specifically Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal.
