Around 80 people are confirmed to have died after a migrant boat got into severe difficulty off Gran Canaria, according to Spain’s maritime rescue service.
The vessel is understood to have left Gambia on August 7 carrying around 128 people and had been at sea for almost a month before rescuers reached it.
Emergency services were alerted on Wednesday and eventually located the stricken boat before reaching those on board around midnight.
Survivors were subsequently brought ashore.
Women and baby reported among dead
Helena Maleno, founder of migrant rights organisation Walking Borders, said survivors reported that three women and a baby were among those who died during the crossing.
Spain’s Maritime Rescue service told Reuters that five bodies remained aboard the vessel when rescuers reached it.
The full circumstances surrounding the deaths and the number of survivors are still emerging.
The tragedy comes amid continuing attempts by migrants to reach Spain’s Canary Islands from the west coast of Africa, with journeys across the Atlantic often involving days or weeks at sea in overcrowded vessels.
Further information is expected from Spanish authorities as the scale of the disaster becomes clearer.
This is a developing story and will be updated as further details are confirmed.
