Search Renewed for Missing Migrants After Nine Die Off Spain’s Canary Islands

By Borja Suarez

EL HIERRO, Spain – On Sunday, rescue teams intensified their efforts to locate approximately 48 migrants who went missing after their boat capsized near the Spanish island of El Hierro. This incident is poised to become one of the deadliest in the history of crossings from Africa to the Canary Islands over the past 30 years.

Following the boat’s sinking in the early hours of Saturday, emergency services reported that nine individuals, including a child, have been confirmed dead. So far, rescuers have successfully rescued 27 of the 84 migrants attempting to reach the Spanish coast.

A journalist observed that a coastguard vessel departed from El Hierro on Sunday to continue search operations, with additional rescue crafts and air support expected to join the efforts.

According to Spanish authorities, the migrants originated from Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal. Emergency services received an SOS call from the boat shortly after midnight on Saturday, which was located approximately four miles east of El Hierro. The vessel sank during the rescue attempt.

"They had been at sea for at least two days without food, and it seems there was a panic before the boat capsized," stated Anselmo Pestana, the Spanish government representative in the Canary Islands. Windy conditions and low visibility hampered their rescue operations, he added.

Among the deceased was a child estimated to be between 12 and 15 years old, according to the NGO Walking Borders, which assists migrants.

During the night, three other boats successfully reached the Canary Islands, carrying a total of 208 migrants. Local authorities noted that calm seas and light winds typical of late summer in the Atlantic Ocean have contributed to a recent surge in migration attempts.

Data from the European Union’s border agency indicates that the route from Africa to the islands has experienced a 154% increase in migrant crossings this year, with 21,620 individuals making the journey in the first seven months alone.

In nearly 30 years of migrant crossings to the islands, the deadliest recorded shipwreck occurred in 2009 off the coast of Lanzarote, resulting in 25 fatalities.