Ceuta migrant disaster death toll rises to 141, Morocco's deadliest in recent history

The death toll in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa, has risen to 141, making it Morocco's deadliest migration disaster in recent history. This tragic event occurred after Moroccan authorities opened the border gates into Ceuta on Tuesday, August 5, 2026, allowing tens of thousands of migrants to enter the territory.

According to the humanitarian group Caminando Fronteras, Moroccan hospitals have received 63 bodies from Moroccan waters, while Spanish officials report discovering another 78 bodies in Spanish waters. The total death count now stands at 141, surpassing previous border tragedies such as the 2022 Melilla border crush that claimed at least 23 lives, and the 2014 Ceuta beach incident where 15 people died.

The majority of victims were young Moroccan men aged between 20 and 30, but the disaster also claimed the lives of Sub-Saharan Africans, women, and children. Spanish authorities have invoked the "multiple victims" protocol, typically reserved for mass-casualty disasters like train crashes and aviation accidents.

About 72,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta on July 30 and 31, 2026, with Spain repatriating around 70,000 of them. An estimated 1,000 unaccompanied children remain stranded in Ceuta. The situation has sparked outrage in Morocco, with the mother of footballer Faten Ben Omar El Azizi, who died during the crossing, demanding answers for the authorities' decision to open the border.

The European Union has commended Spain's swift response to the crisis, praising the bloc's support for addressing this pressing issue of migration with a unified European approach.