Over 80 Migrants Feared Dead After Boat Rescued Near Canary Islands
A boat carrying 127 migrants from The Gambia was rescued in the Atlantic Ocean after being adrift for 27 days. While 44 survivors were found, more than 80 individuals are feared dead, with five bodies recovered by rescue teams.
Sources
Five bodies have been recovered from a boat that was carrying West Africans and was rescued off the Canary Islands, where 44 men were found drifting 120 km south of Gran Canaria. An NGO estimates that 83 migrants, including three women and a baby girl, died on a boat that left The Gambia 27 days prior, while the Spanish maritime service confirmed 5 deceased but could not verify the higher toll. From January 1 to August 31, 5,163 migrants reached the Canaries by sea, reflecting a 57 percent drop compared to the same timeframe last year.
More than 80 people, including a baby, are feared dead after a boat with 127 occupants from The Gambia was adrift in the Atlantic Ocean for 27 days before Spanish Maritime Rescue teams located it, resulting in 44 survivors and five dead bodies on board. Activist Helena Maleno Garzón reported that 83 individuals had lost their lives, while rescuers faced rough sea conditions with 20-knot winds and 2.5-meter waves that prevented them from recovering the bodies. The migration route from West Africa to the Canary Islands is noted as one of the deadliest, with thousands attempting the dangerous journey each year.