At least seven people, including two young children, lost their lives after a migrant boat capsized while being escorted to La Restinga port on El Hierro, the smallest of Spain’s Canary Islands, regional emergency services reported on Wednesday.
The tragedy unfolded as a precarious, open-topped vessel carrying around 180 migrants neared the island’s port. According to Spain’s maritime rescue service, many passengers panicked and moved to one side of the boat, causing it to overturn. The dead include two five-year-old girls, a 16-year-old girl, and four women.
State broadcaster TVE captured the harrowing moment the vessel sank, showing desperate passengers—many of them children—tossed into the sea. Some tried to climb onto the nearby rescue ship as crew members threw life rings and flotation devices into the water.
The rescue operation saw support from multiple emergency units, including a medical helicopter and volunteer divers from local diving clubs. Red Cross spokesperson Alexis Ramos confirmed that numerous divers played a crucial role in retrieving survivors and bodies from the water.
This incident comes amid a wider humanitarian crisis, as the Canary Islands continue to face a surge in migrant arrivals from West Africa. Although overall numbers have dipped this year, Spain’s Interior Ministry data indicates that the Atlantic route remains among the most perilous for migrants seeking refuge.
Human rights organization Walking Borders revealed that from January to May 2024 alone, 4,808 people have perished while attempting the Atlantic crossing from countries like Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, and Gambia. The fragile boats commonly used are highly vulnerable to rough ocean conditions.
As the region mourns the latest loss of life, rescue teams continue to search for any remaining survivors, and authorities are working to identify the deceased and provide aid to the traumatized survivors.
Sources By Agencies
