The national marine rescue service saved nine people who were found clinging to the boat on Monday morning after a merchant vessel in the area gave a warning call. These rescued individuals reported that there were originally 60 people on board and they had set sail nine days ago. The boat encountered problems on Saturday.
The exact number of people on the boat is unclear, and there has been no comment available from the Civil Guard police offices in the Canary Island capital of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The migrants are said to be from sub-Saharan Africa, but there's no information on the country they departed from.
Every year, tens of thousands of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa, escaping poverty, conflict, and instability, attempt to reach Spain by boat. Most travel in large open vessels to the Canary Islands in the Atlantic, while others from countries like Morocco, Algeria, and the Middle East try to cross the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean to reach mainland Spain. Unfortunately, several thousand migrants lose their lives during these perilous journeys.
According to the Interior Ministry, between January 1 and April 15, 16,621 migrants arrived in Spain by boat, which is an increase from 11,681 in the same period last year. The majority of these arrivals used the Canary Island route.
