A migratory tragedy has claimed the lives of more than 80 people on the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands, including a baby and several women. The cayuco that departed from Gambia 26 days ago was rescued this Thursday with only 45 survivors on board.
The cayuco, which originally had 127 occupants, was located on Thursday morning adrift south of the archipelago. Yesterday afternoon, a rescue plane from Salvamento Marítimo spotted the vessel 120 kilometers from Gran Canaria. The Guardamar Urania arrived to carry out the rescue, although it was forced to leave the five bodies found on the cayuco due to difficult sea conditions.
The Civil Guard has confirmed to the NGO Caminando Fronteras that the markings on the hull of the cayuco match a vessel that departed on September 7 from Gambia. The survivors have corroborated this information during their assistance from Cruz Roja at the dock in Arguineguín, indicating that many traveled in extreme conditions and reported deaths during the crossing. Helena Maleno, founder of Caminando Fronteras, stated: “The information we have been able to verify so far is that it is an alert we gave to the search and rescue authorities regarding 127 people, including four women and a baby.”
Maleno added that there have been numerous calls from relatives fearing the worst, and that the situation underscores the urgent need for improved international cooperation in rescue operations. The president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, expressed his sorrow for the loss of life, stating that “the Canary Islands cannot get used to or normalize that the Atlantic continues to be a route of death.”
According to reports from Caminando Fronteras, the Atlantic route remains the most dangerous for migrants attempting to reach Spain, with 635 deaths recorded between January and June of this year. Although the number of migrants arriving on Spanish shores has significantly decreased, the mortality rate per 100 arrivals has increased, reaching 21 deaths this year.
Source: www.infobae.com
