More than 250 migrants rescued off Spain¡¯s southern coast this weekend
Four bodies were also found just a week after last week¡¯s tragic shipwreck, with 596 people having died along the sea route to Spanish shores so far this year
Spain¡¯s maritime rescue services and the Civil Guard rescued 258 people from the coast of Andalusia, in the south of the country, this weekend. The rescued migrants were taken to different cities in the southern region: 139 were transferred to the ports of M¨¢laga, 41 and Almer¨ªa and 15 to V¨¦lez-M¨¢laga.
According to sources from the maritime rescue team, crew on the rescue ship Sar Mastelero spotted two small ¡°overcrowded¡± boats in the Albor¨¢n Sea early on Sunday morning and urgently acted to save the 59 men and eight women on board. The ship then saved 72 people (60 men, nine women and three children) who were traveling on another vessel. The 139 migrants rescued were taken to M¨¢laga.
So far this year, 596 migrants have died along the sea route to Spain
Later in the day, migrants on board a different small boat, spotted by the plane Condor IV, were saved by the maritime rescue ship Concepci¨®n Arenal. The 21 men from North Africa were taken to Almer¨ªa, along with 20 other migrants who were rescued from a fourth boat by the Civil Guard¡¯s R¨ªo Segura patrol ship in the Albor¨¢n Sea. Another 63 people were rescued by maritime rescue services and the Civil Guard in the Strait of Gibraltar.
The body of a man from sub-Saharan Africa was found in the Spanish exclave city of Ceuta on the northern coast of Africa. Hours later, the body of another migrant was found close to Ca?os de Meca beach in C¨¢diz in the south of Spain, the 12th victim of last week¡¯s tragic shipwreck.
Two more bodies were found on Saturday on a rubber raft that had reached Chilches beach in V¨¦lez-M¨¢laga with 15 people on board. Police say the migrants fled once they reached the shore but eight people, including two minors, have since been detained and taken to a migration center in Torremolinos in Andalusia. Police are continuing to look for the other five migrants, one of whom is suspected to be the captain of the boat.
So far this year, 596 migrants have died along the sea route to Spain, according to the International Organization for Migration (OIM). It is the worst figure in a decade, and nearly four times higher than in the same period the year before.
English version by Melissa Kitson.
Tu suscripci¨®n se est¨¢ usando en otro dispositivo
?Quieres a?adir otro usuario a tu suscripci¨®n?
Si contin¨²as leyendo en este dispositivo, no se podr¨¢ leer en el otro.
FlechaTu suscripci¨®n se est¨¢ usando en otro dispositivo y solo puedes acceder a EL PA?S desde un dispositivo a la vez.
Si quieres compartir tu cuenta, cambia tu suscripci¨®n a la modalidad Premium, as¨ª podr¨¢s a?adir otro usuario. Cada uno acceder¨¢ con su propia cuenta de email, lo que os permitir¨¢ personalizar vuestra experiencia en EL PA?S.
En el caso de no saber qui¨¦n est¨¢ usando tu cuenta, te recomendamos cambiar tu contrase?a aqu¨ª.
Si decides continuar compartiendo tu cuenta, este mensaje se mostrar¨¢ en tu dispositivo y en el de la otra persona que est¨¢ usando tu cuenta de forma indefinida, afectando a tu experiencia de lectura. Puedes consultar aqu¨ª los t¨¦rminos y condiciones de la suscripci¨®n digital.
