At least seven people died when a migrant boat capsized near La Restinga harbor on El Hierro, the smallest of Spain’s Canary Islands, as rescuers were escorting it to port, regional emergency services reported on Wednesday.
The open-topped boat, which state broadcaster TVE said was carrying approximately 180 people, sank as it approached the harbor. Among the deceased were two 5-year-old girls, a 16-year-old girl, and four women, according to emergency services.
A spokesperson for Spain’s maritime rescue service stated that a rescue vessel was escorting the boat to the harbor when many of the passengers appeared to rush to one side of the precarious vessel as it neared the shore, causing it to capsize.
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TVE live footage captured the boat sinking, throwing people, including children, into the water. Many were seen attempting to climb onto the nearby maritime rescue vessel as its crew threw life preservers to them.
Red Cross spokesperson Alexis Ramos told TVE that members of several local dive clubs had assisted with the rescue efforts, with many specialist divers providing support to the emergency services. A medical helicopter was dispatched to assist emergency personnel in rescuing people from the water, emergency services said.
While the number of migrants reaching the Canary Islands from West Africa reached a record high in 2024, Interior Ministry data indicates that the number of arrivals has decreased this year.
The Atlantic route to the Canary Islands is particularly perilous, as rough weather can easily capsize the fragile rafts, dugout-like boats, and dinghies commonly used by migrants.
According to the migrant rights group Walking Borders, 4,808 people died on the Atlantic voyage to the Canaries after departing from Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, and Gambia in the first five months of 2024.
