More than 80 people dead on migrant boat adrift off Canary Islands
Rescuers managed to save 45 people, with three being airlifted to hospital
At least 80 people including a baby have died after a boat carrying around 128 migrants was adrift for 26 days off Spain's Canary Islands.
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Rescuers managed to save 45 people who were brought to Gran Canaria this morning.
Three people had to be airlifted to hospital. Rescuers were forced to leave the bodies of five migrants on the boat due to the rough sea conditions.
The boat is believed to have originated from Gambia in West Africa and had been at sea for weeks.
The boat was carrying around 128 people, according to Spain's news agency EFE Noticias.
The survivors were rescued around 74 miles off the coast of Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.
Helena Maleno, founder of Walking Borders, said on social media that survivors reported that 83 people, including three women and a baby, had died during the crossing
Canary Islands regional leader, Fernando Clavijo, said the tragedy underscored the need for a state policy on migration, especially after a deadly migrant surge in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta in July.
"It is intolerable that lives continue to be lost. The Canaries cannot get used to or accept as normal the fact that the Atlantic continues to be a death trap," he said on X.
The vessel had been spotted on Wednesday by a rescue aircraft about 65 nautical miles southwest of Arguineguin.
The Atlantic route from West Africa to the Canary Islands is one of the world's deadliest migration crossings. Thousands of migrants attempt the journey each year in overcrowded boats seeking to reach Spanish territory despite the risks posed by rough seas, strong currents and long distances.
The number of migrants reaching the Canary Islands from West Africa has fallen so far this year by 57.4%, according to official data.