FOUR PEOPLE WERE found dead yesterday in a makeshift boat carrying 23 migrants near Spain’s Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa, local authorities said.
Nineteen migrants have been hospitalised on the island of Tenerife.
Three were in critical condition as of yesterday evening, the archipelago’s emergency service said on Twitter.
A helicopter rescue operation was carried out in the afternoon south of El Hierro island.
The operation focused on the raft which had been spotted by a fishing boat, according to the Spanish coast guard.
At least 20 people have died along the highly dangerous migratory route to Europe since the beginning of the year.
The rate of crossings has jumped in recent years, with 3,400 people arriving in the Canaries between 1 January and 31 March this year.
In comparison, the number of people arriving was less than half that figure over the same period in 2020.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say