The President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijoregretted the death of at least nine migrants when the canoe with which they were trying to reach the island of Ironyes okay 48 other missing people are wanted and 27 survivors were rescued.
“Unfortunately, a new tragedy once again highlights the danger of the Atlantic Route”, wrote the president of the Canary Islands on his official Twitter account, in which he urged Spain and the European Union must act “decisively” in the face of a structural humanitarian drama.
“These are children, women and men. Lives that are dying just a few meters from the southern border of Europe,” lamented the head of the Canary Islands executive.
Unfortunately, a new tragedy once again highlights the danger of the Atlantic Route. We need Spain and the EU to act decisively in the face of a structural humanitarian drama. They are children, women and men. Lives dying just a few meters from the southern border of Europe.
– Fernando Clavijo (@FClavijoBatlle) September 28, 2024
New immigration tragedy
El Hierro emergency services have recovered nine bodies and are searching for at least 48 other bodies after a canoe sank last night, from where they were able to rescue 27 people alive, off the coast of Las Playas , in the municipality of Valverde. .
All the occupants of the overturned canoe were men and one of the bodies found corresponds to that of a teenager around 12 to 15 years oldas EFE was informed by sources from the island’s emergency services, who also specify that of the 27 people rescued, 25 were transferred to La Restinga and two were evacuated by helicopter.
A photograph in which an immigrant receives health care.
Efe
Likewise, they clarified that it was the occupants of the canoe itself who informed 112 of their whereabouts and that the rescue took place around 3 a.m.
There were 84 men on board the boat.including several teenagers, who left Mauritania for the Canary Islands, according to what a relative of one of the occupants told Caminando Fronteras.
This NGO received a call last night at 1:30 a.m. from this person in which he said that several of the passengers of the canoe were calling their families to tell them that they had seen the coast and that their engine had stopped. According to this relative, at least four children aged 7 to 11 were traveling on the boat, in addition to teenagers.
Currently, members of the Civil Guard and Maritime Rescue are in the Las Playas area searching for other bodies.
A total of three canoes arrived in El Hierro last night, including the one that capsized, and looking for a fourth boat which they have not been able to locate at this time.
In the first to arrive at La Restinga at midnight, a total of 131 people were traveling, including 107 men and 15 women, as well as five children and four babies, according to the same emergency sources.
The second corresponds that of the nine dead and 50 missing and the third arrived around 7:30 a.m. with 20 people, including 18 men, a woman and a child.
Ten people from the three cayucos received health care in the port of La Restinga.
Last night too A boat with 57 people was rescued in Lanzaroteincluding three women, who were transferred to Puerto Naos.
