Latest News

Five migrants pass away attempting to reach the Canary Islands, authorities state

Five bodies were discovered drifting in the sea on Sunday after the inflatable boat they were taking a trip in punctured around 90 km (56 miles) off the Spanish island of Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands, Spanish Sea Rescue services informed Reuters.

A spokesperson stated a rescue aircraft sighted 2 inflatable boats heading towards the archipelago, and that one of them had among its floats deflated.

The airplane released two life rafts and was able to rescue 17 people from one vessel and 80 from another, but 5 bodies were also discovered.

State agency EFE said the rescue services had in all saved more than 1,500 people over the weekend.

It also reported on Sunday that a minimum of 48 migrants died trying to reach the Canary Islands in a boat that left Mauritania 3 weeks back. 10 more migrants from the same craft were saved near the island of El Hierro on Saturday, it stated.

Calm seas and gentle winds associated with late summertime in the Atlantic Ocean off West Africa have triggered a rise of migrants trying to get away extreme hardship and political instability in Africa's Sahel region.

The Atlantic route to the Canary Islands has actually seen the fastest growth in irregular migration recently, though numbers stay listed below those on the Central Mediterranean path towards Italy.

Some 32,878 migrants have taken the path in boats from West Africa to the Canary Islands in between January and Oct. 15, according to government figures, an increase of 39.7% from the very same period last year.

(source: Reuters)