Rescue teams responded to a distress call near El Hierro and managed to save 27 people from the capsized boat.
Survivors reported that the vessel had departed from Nouadhibou, Mauritania, several days earlier. It is believed that the boat was carrying up to 90 people, including children. According to authorities, panic among the passengers, who were suffering from dehydration and hunger, contributed to the sinking.
The rescue operation involved a significant number of vessels, helicopters, and planes. This tragic incident follows the recent deaths of 39 migrants in a similar shipwreck off the coast of Senegal.
Regional president Fernando Clavijo has called for urgent action from Spain and the European Union to address the humanitarian crisis in the region. The Atlantic route remains a dangerous and perilous journey for migrants seeking a better life.
RT/ac/lb/abj/APA