Canary Islands Migrant Tragedies

Five Dead and Dozens Missing After Migrant Boat Drifts Near Canary Islands

At least five people are believed to have died and dozens more are missing after a migrant boat carrying West African migrants ran into trouble near Spain's Canary Islands. Spain's Maritime Rescue Service spotted a "precarious" boat drifting near Gran Canaria, 120 km (74 miles) south of the island. Three survivors were evacuated to a hospital on the island, and the remaining 41 migrants were brought to safety in the Canary Islands by the Red Cross. All survivors were men, some underage, and came from Mali or Senegal. The migrants reported leaving Gambia and being stranded at sea for many days, with some estimating they had been at sea nearly a month. The Maritime Rescue service was unable to retrieve the remains of the five dead due to strong winds and waves that were 2.5 metres (8 feet) high.