Seven dead as migrant boat capsizes off Spain’s Canary Islands

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Seven people, including four women and three girls, have died after a boat carrying refugees and migrants capsized while approaching the port of El Hierro in Spain’s Canary Islands, emergency services said on Wednesday.

The small vessel, believed to be carrying more than 100 people, overturned just metres from the dock as rescuers were attempting to disembark minors, Al Jazeera reported.

Spain’s maritime rescue service said the sudden movement of passengers caused the boat to tip over and dump its occupants into the water.

Red Cross spokesman Alexis Ramos told broadcaster RTVE that there could be “more than 100 people” on board, though the exact number of those missing remains unclear.

A helicopter airlifted two more children — a girl and a boy — to hospital in critical condition after they were pulled from the sea. The boat was first spotted roughly 10 kilometres (6 miles) offshore before being escorted to the dock, officials said.

Spanish authorities have launched an investigation into the latest incident.

The Canary Islands, located off Africa’s western coast, have long been a key gateway for refugees and migrants attempting the perilous journey to European territory. Many travel in overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels, risking their lives in hopes of reaching Spain.

Nearly 47,000 people reached the Canaries last year, with the majority coming from Mali, Senegal and Morocco. Many embark from the Mauritanian coastline, often enduring treacherous conditions during the Atlantic crossing.

The route continues to see a large number of unaccompanied minors among the arrivals. Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly called for increased support and safer migration pathways to prevent such tragedies.