Rescue teams in boats and helicopters looking for bodies following the tragic capsizing of a boat with 84 people on board, off the coast of El Hierro, aren’t expecting to find anyone for at least three days as they predict it will take that long for the bodies of missing passengers to come to the surface of the water.
This was confirmed by the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, during a press briefing yesterday afternoon (Saturday), in which he assured that search and rescue operations will continue regardless.
The incident, which took place on Friday night, is one of the deadliest migrant tragedies in the Canary Islands in over three decades. A meeting of top officials, including Vice President Manuel Domínguez, was convened by Clavijo to assess the situation.
During the briefing, the president stated that rescue operations will focus on the eastern coast of the island, where maritime currents are expected to carry the bodies of the 48 people still missing.
The meeting addressed the logistics of continuing the search and recovery efforts. Clavijo announced that additional emergency resources, including police, medical staff, and social support, have been deployed to the island to deal with the aftermath of the disaster. He described the shipwreck as the worst migrant tragedy to occur in the Canary Islands in the past 30 years of increased migrant crossings via small boats known as pateras and cayucos.
Clavijo also highlighted the logistical challenges the island faces in processing autopsies, underlining the grim reality of the migrant crisis. He revealed that, as of September 15th, 2024, migrant arrivals via the dangerous Canary Islands route had surged by 85% compared to the same period in 2022, with 26,758 individuals arriving on the islands.
This Atlantic migration route remains the most perilous in the world, Clavijo warned, stating that "every 45 minutes, a migrant loses their life trying to reach Canarian shores." He called for urgent action to address this humanitarian crisis, stressing the need for comprehensive agreements on migration management.
The president urged a coordinated response, emphasising that this tragedy should not be "just another sad event." Clavijo called on public institutions to act swiftly and decisively to prevent the situation from worsening. He stressed the importance of a humane and effective management system, both for the Canary Islands and for the desperate migrants seeking refuge there.
Political leaders across Spain, including Alberto Núñez Feijóo of the People's Party (PP), Ángel Víctor Torres, Minister of Territorial Policy, and Manuel Olmedo, Secretary of State for Justice, have expressed their solidarity. Clavijo's administration has also appealed for increased support from the European Union to cope with the growing crisis.
