Five dead on migrant boat rescued off Canary Islands, aid group says toll may be higher

Five migrants were found dead aboard a ​boat rescued off Spain's Canary Islands, maritime ​rescue authorities said on Thursday, ‌while a migrant ​rights group reported that survivors said dozens more had died during the crossing. Three survivors were in a serious condition and were airlifted ‌to hospital, while another 41 disembarked at the port of Arguineguin on Gran Canaria in the early hours of Thursday, Maritime Rescue said in a statement.

Helena Maleno, founder of Walking Borders, said on social media ‌that survivors reported that 83 people, including three women and a baby, had died during ‌the crossing. The boat had left The Gambia 27 days earlier. Reuters could not independently verify that figure. Maritime Rescue said it could confirm only that five bodies were aboard the vessel when rescuers reached it. The bodies could not ⁠be recovered ​because of adverse weather ⁠conditions.

Canary Islands regional leader, Fernando Clavijo, said the tragedy underscored the need for a state policy on migration, especially after ⁠a deadly migrant surge in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta in July. "It is intolerable that lives continue ​to be lost. The Canaries cannot get used to or accept as normal the fact ⁠that the Atlantic continues to be a death trap," he said on X.

The vessel had been spotted on Wednesday ⁠by ​a rescue aircraft about 65 nautical miles southwest of Arguineguin. The Atlantic route from West Africa to the Canary Islands is one of the world's deadliest migration crossings. Thousands of migrants attempt ⁠the journey each year in overcrowded boats seeking to reach Spanish territory despite the risks posed by rough ⁠seas, strong currents ⁠and long distances.

The number of migrants reaching the Canary Islands from West Africa has fallen so far this year by 57.4%, according to official data.