Atlantic escape: 17 killed in boat capsize off the Canary Islands – Politics

Seventeen people have been found dead from Africa on a small boat in the Atlantic outside the Spanish-owned Canary Islands. News agency Europa Press quoted officials as saying that Spain’s maritime rescue had found only three survivors. The woman and two men were airlifted to hospital by helicopter. The rescue ship was on its way to “Talia” and was due to reach the boat on Tuesday, which was discovered by a search plane about 500 kilometers south of Herero Island.

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The number of dangerous crossings from Africa to the archipelago via the Atlantic has risen sharply in the past year. UN More than 22,000 migrants have been counted, according to the UNHCR, a refugee agency. This trend continued this year as well. According to the UN, more than 4,100 people have so far been counted from Africa.

The Canary Islands are about 100 kilometers off the coast of West Africa in the Atlantic. However, the open Atlantic is very dangerous for small boats, which are often powered only by outboard motors. Those who missed or lost the islands are less likely to survive. (dpa)