Two people have been confirmed dead after an operation to rescue 20 migrants on board a boat bound for Spain's Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, La Provincia newspaper reported on Monday, citing the Spanish Air Force and Coast Guard, which were both involved in the operation
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th February, 2020) Two people have been confirmed dead after an operation to rescue 20 migrants on board a boat bound for Spain's Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, La Provincia newspaper reported on Monday, citing the Spanish Air Force and Coast Guard, which were both involved in the operation.
According to the newspaper, one man died before rescuers could reach their vessel. The other victim, an unnamed woman, died in a hospital on the island of Tenerife from severe dehydration. Seven other migrants on board who showed signs of dehydration were transported by helicopter to hospitals in the Canary Islands.
The vessel was spotted on Friday approximately 800 kilometers (497 miles) south of the island of El Hierro, part of the Canary Islands. The rescue operation was carried out with three ships and two helicopters and was completed on Sunday.
The remaining 11 migrants are being transported by vessel to the port of Gran Canaria, and will arrive either on Monday evening or the following day.
The newspaper cited the Spanish Civil Guard, which stated that the majority of the migrants on board the vessel are citizens of Guinea.
According to the International Organization for Migration, at least 54 people lost their lives in 2019 attempting to make the journey from continental Africa to the Canary Islands. Since 1994, approximately 100,000 migrants from Africa have made the successful journey from the west coast of Africa to the Spanish territory.
