Spain rescues 319 migrants off the coast of Canary Islands, with 18 more missing

According to Spain authorities, at least 319 migrants have been rescued while attempting to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a variety of boats.

24 children were among those rescued on the Canary Islands on Wednesday, according to emergency officials.

According to the NGO Walking Borders, at least 18 individuals perished while traveling on one of the migrants’ boats.

“Rescue means were activated too late despite having the boat’s location,” Helena Maleno, the NGO’s founder, wrote in a tweet.

The boats were discovered in various areas by Spanish rescue vessels overnight on Tuesday, according to a Maritime Rescue Service official.

Rescuers found no bodies on or near the vessels, but nine people were found alive clinging to a capsized boat near the island of Lanzarote, according to the spokeswoman.

Nine adults and one baby were among the 319 survivors taken to local health institutions on the archipelago, according to the Canary Islands’ 112 emergency service. The majority of individuals rescued are thought to have originated in northern and central Africa.

Source: euronews.com