Lanzarote and Gran Canaria: Hundreds of migrants rescued and many feared dead

Lanzarote and Gran Canaria: Hundreds of migrants rescued and many feared dead.


HUNDREDS of migrants have been rescued overnight who were heading to Lanzarote and Gran Canaria, although many are feared dead, according to 112 and Salvamento Marítimo.
Maritime Rescue crews helped up to seven boats carrying 319 people overnight (January 25/26). During one of several rescues carried out during the night, 59 women and 24 children were brought to safety.
Rescue efforts began at around 11 pm when Maritime Rescue crews found a semi-sunken inflatable boat that had been wrecked to the southeast of Arrecife (Lanzarote). Nine migrants were found clinging to its hull and it is not yet known whether there were any victims of the shipwreck, with fears that the boat left the African coast with 27 occupants.
Of the 319 rescued, 199 arrived at the port of Arrecife as a result of five rescues carried out in Lanzarote. Rescuers attended one dinghy and ended up locating two more, with a total of 127 sub-Saharan immigrants on board: 96 men, 25 women and six children. Of these, a woman, a man and a baby were taken to the José Molina Orosa Hospital for medical assistance. Then two small boats were located off of Lanzarote, one with 35 people (33 men and two women) and the other with 37 (25 men, one woman and eleven children).
From Gran Canaria, rescuers located a dinghy near the south of Fuerteventura and again, located another two. In total, the rescue boat returned to the port of Arguineguín with 120 immigrants (82 men, 31 women and seven minors). In this case, eight people needed to be taken to hospital after arriving ashore.
Rescue efforts continue as Maritime Rescue sources have warned that there are currently several search alerts open on the high seas.
In related news, a record number of migrants crossed the Channel to reach the UK on January 25.


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Written by

Matthew Roscoe

Originally from the UK, Matthew is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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