Tote auf See: Migranten-Tragödie vor Kanaren: Mehr als 80 Tote befürchtet
Ein Boot mit 127 Menschen legte laut der Organisation Caminando Fronteras in Gambia ab. Vor Gran Canaria zählte die Seenotrettung nur noch 44 Überlebende.
Las Palmas, Spain - In a small wooden boat journeying from West Africa to the Canary Islands, at least 80 people may have perished. Spain's state rescue agency confirmed Wednesday evening that a vessel carrying 44 individuals and five bodies was spotted 140 kilometers south of Gran Canaria. The reliable non-governmental organization Caminando Fronteras (Grenzgänger) reported that the boat departed from Gambia on August 7, carrying 127 people.
This information has been corroborated by some of the survivors, according to Spain's state police news outlet RTVE. Caminando Fronteras operates a network of local workers and informants across North and West Africa. The organization often receives real-time alerts about departures, destinations, and passenger counts from these sources, as well as emergency calls from boats or their families.
They then alert Spain's rescue services. Crossing the open Atlantic in small, open wooden boats is among the most perilous sea routes. According to the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR, over 4,800 migrants from Africa arrived in the Canary Islands, part of Spain, since the start of the year. The exact number of those who died from storms, starvation, or thirst remains unclear.
UNHCR counted 586 deaths or missing persons in the Atlantic and western Mediterranean since the beginning of the year, while Caminando Fronteras estimates more than 1,300 since May.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
