Off the Canary Islands, three boats not found with more than 300 migrants on board

Two days after the rescue of 78 migrants in the same area, three other boats are missing off the Canary Islands. The Spanish organization Caminando Fronteras reported their disappearance on Tuesday evening, July 11. More than 300 people from Senegal are said to be on board. This NGO gets its information from calls from migrants and their relatives.

The Spanish sea rescue service asked for help from boats sailing in this part of the Atlantic Ocean, before sending one of its planes to fly over the area. “The plane searched the area and found nothing” said the relief spokeswoman, without specifying whether the search would continue on Wednesday.

“Every minute counts”, was indignant the founder of the NGOHelena Maleno. “More research resources and greater collaboration between Mauritania, Spain and Morocco are needed.” The Spanish rescuers had initially claimed that the boat rescued on Monday seemed to be carrying these 300 people and therefore corresponded to the number of passengers on board these three boats, before acknowledging an error.