9 dead, 48 still missing nearly a day after migrant boat sinking off Canary Islands

Hopes of uncovering immoderate of the 48 migrants missing since their vessel sank adjacent the Spanish land of El Hierro are diminishing, authorities said connected Sunday, successful what threatens to beryllium the deadliest specified incidental successful 30 years of crossings from Africa to the Canary Islands.

Nine people, 1 of them a child, had earlier been confirmed arsenic dormant aft the vessel sank successful the aboriginal hours of Saturday morning, exigency and rescue services said.

Rescuers were capable to prime up 27 of 84 migrants who were trying to scope Spanish shores connected Saturday. Three patrol boats and 3 helicopters were taking portion successful a renewed hunt for the others connected Sunday, a Spanish coastguard spokesperson said.

“Unfortunately we presume the worst. The hunt goes connected but it seems that the chances of uncovering idiosyncratic live are slim,” a commentator for the Canary Islands authorities told Reuters connected Sunday.

The migrants were from Mali, Mauritania and Senegal, Spanish authorities said.

The fig of migrants crossing from West Africa to the Canary Islands accrued by 154 per cent from January to July, totaling 21,620 successful the archetypal 7 months, information from the European Union’s borderline bureau Frontex showed, portion numbers fell connected routes successful the cardinal and occidental Mediterranean during the aforesaid time.

Crossings from Turkey to Greece roseate by 57 per cent and implicit the English Channel to Britain by 22 per cent.

Shortly aft midnight connected Saturday, Spanish exigency services received a telephone from the boat, which was located astir 6 kilometers eastbound of El Hierro. It sank during the rescue attempt, they said. Wind and mediocre visibility made the rescue highly difficult.

“After what happened yesterday and if the forecast for the accomplishment of the migrant boats happens, past it volition beryllium the biggest humanitarian situation to hap to the Canary Islands successful 30 years,” Candelaria Delgado of the Canary Islands government, told reporters connected Sunday.

Three of those rescued suffered from hypothermia and dehydration, rescue services said connected Sunday.

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The 9 migrants who died volition beryllium buried connected Monday and Tuesday. Among the dormant was a kid aged betwixt 12-15, according to the NGO Walking Borders, which helps migrants.

As hopes of much survivors died, constabulary acceptable up a morgue connected El Hierro, authorities said.

Three different boats reached the Canary Islands during the night, carrying 208 migrants.

Calm seas and gentle winds associated with precocious summertime successful the Atlantic Ocean disconnected West Africa person prompted a renewed surge of migrants , section authorities said this month.

In immoderate 30 years of migrant crossings to the islands the deadliest shipwreck recorded to day occurred successful 2009 disconnected the land of Lanzarote erstwhile 25 radical died.