According to El Pais, eight people on board have died. The rescue services were able to retrieve 28 others from the water. A number of them were picked up by helicopter. However, a number of women and children are said to be missing and they are still being searched for.
In recent days, you could hear from our colleagues in Gran Canaria that the Canary Islands are again attracting many migrants from West Africa. This year, almost 18,000 people would have arrived on the archipelago via boats. They hope to be able to go to the Spanish mainland from there, but the government in Madrid refuses to do so in order not to create a suction effect. As a result, thousands of people are now trapped on the islands, some in the open air. The local government of the Autonomous Community of “Canarias” now wants Madrid’s help to tackle the problem.
As last night’s disaster shows, the route from West Africa to the Canary Islands is very dangerous. This year, more than 500 people are said to have drowned after their often rickety boats have sunk in the Atlantic Ocean. Lanzarote is located just over 100 kilometers off the south coast of Morocco and the Western Sahara.
View images of the situation on site below:
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