5 migrants dead after boat carrying over 100 people drifts for weeks in Atlantic
A migrant boat traveling from Gambia to the Canary Islands drifted for nearly a month, resulting in at least five confirmed deaths, though NGOs estimate the toll could be as high as 83. Survivors were rescued by Spanish authorities after suffering from severe dehydration and illness.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the extreme dangers of the Atlantic migration route and the ongoing humanitarian crisis involving migrants attempting to reach Europe.
At least five African migrants died after a boat carrying more than 100 people ran into trouble in the Atlantic Ocean while attempting to reach Spain's Canary Islands, authorities said on Thursday.Forty-four survivors were brought to safety after Spain's Maritime Rescue Service spotted the “precarious” vessel drifting south of Gran Canaria on Wednesday.Three survivors were evacuated by helicopter to a hospital, while the remaining 41 were taken by boat to the port of Arguineguín early Thursday and cared for by the Red Cross, news agency AP reported.Survivors say boat was adrift for nearly a monthAll the survivors were men, some of them underage, and were from Mali or Senegal, Red Cross spokesperson José Antonio Rodríguez Verona said.He said the migrants were disoriented and dehydrated, with many collapsing or vomiting after reaching land.
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