MADRID: A migrant boat capsized off the coast of Spain’s Canary Islands overnight, leaving at least nine people dead and 48 others missing, Spain’s national maritime rescue service said on Saturday.
The accident occurred near El Hierro, one of the islands in the archipelago, as rescuers responded to a distress call shortly after midnight.
The boat was carrying 84 people at the time of the accident. Rescue teams managed to save 27 persons, but the fate of the 48 missing migrants remains uncertain as the search efforts continue.
This latest incident follows the deaths of 39 migrants in early September, when their boat sank off the coast of Senegal while attempting a similar journey to the Canary Islands. The dangerous Atlantic crossing is part of a perilous route that many migrants use in hopes of reaching mainland Europe.
The Atlantic migration route to the Canaries has become increasingly deadly, with overcrowded and poorly equipped boats often falling victim to strong ocean currents. Some vessels begin their journey as far as 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) away from the islands on African shores.
Thousands of migrants have perished over the years attempting this route. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN agency, at least 4,857 people have died on this journey since 2014.
However, aid organizations suggest the true toll is far higher. Caminando Fronteras, a Spanish NGO assisting migrants, estimates that 18,680 people have died trying to reach Europe via this route.
In late August, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Mauritania and The Gambia to sign cooperation agreements aimed at curbing people smuggling networks and creating legal pathways for migration.
According to Spanish authorities, 22,304 migrants reached the Canary Islands by August 15 this year, more than double the 9,864 who arrived in the same period last year.
