Two of the victims were only 5 years old, another was just 16, according to the 112 Canarias rescue service. The accident happened as the Spanish sea rescue service was towing the boat to the port of La Restinga on the island of El Hierro.
Shortly before reaching its destination, the boat suddenly capsized, according to reports by the public television station RTVE and other Spanish media, which cited rescue teams.
According to estimates, up to 180 people were on board. Several of them are still missing, including a baby. The rescue operation was captured on video by a television crew.
The footage shows some migrants climbing the quay wall with the help of ropes. Others were pulled out of the water by emergency services, while many more remained in the water or on the hull of the boat until they were rescued.
According to RTVE, the emergency services in the port responded immediately and quickly took care of those who had fallen overboard.
However, the large number of victims made the rescue difficult. An air bubble inside the wooden boat made it possible to rescue most of the people alive.
The cause of the accident is unclear. “The tragedy that unfolded on El Hierro should shake us all. Lives were lost in a desperate attempt to find a better future,” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez posted on the X platform.
Migrants repeatedly attempt to reach the Canary Islands – a group of islands belonging to Spain off Africa – from West Africa in overcrowded boats that are not really seaworthy.
GNA
PDC