At least seven migrants have died off the Canary Islands after rescuers intercepted a boat carrying survivors 150 kilometres off Lanzarote, Spanish maritime authorities said.
Spain's sea rescue service said more than 380 people were brought to safety today across several operations in the area. Two victims were found dead on board when the coastguard reached the vessel 150 kilometres off Lanzarote and rescued 132 survivors.
Authorities added that during the same journey, five other migrants died and were thrown into the sea. Earlier today, coastguard boats rescued another 250 migrants off Lanzarote and the island of El Hierro, following the rescue of 107 migrants off El Hierro on Sunday.
Fernando Clavijo, the president of the Canary Islands, said in a message on social media platform X that the worst predictions were coming true. He said the Atlantic route was once again claiming human lives off Lanzarote, adding that behind every person who died was a life, a story and a family.
Atlantic migration route
The Canary Islands are a Spanish archipelago situated in the Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of Africa. Lanzarote is located in the north-east of the chain, closest to the African mainland, while El Hierro is the smallest and most south-westerly of the main islands.
The sea crossing from the north-west African coast to the archipelago is widely recognised by humanitarian organisations as one of the deadliest migration routes in the world. Boats departing from African shores must travel hundreds of miles across open Atlantic waters, where dangerous ocean currents and sudden storms create treacherous conditions for small craft.
Migrants typically undertake the journey in open wooden fishing vessels known as pateras or larger boats called cayucos, which are frequently overloaded with passengers and carry limited fuel and food. Spain's maritime rescue agency deploys specialised search vessels and aircraft across the Atlantic to locate drifting boats and bring survivors ashore.
