Eight boats carrying 510 migrants arrive on El Hierro and Lanzarote

A total of 510 migrants have arrived in the Canary Islands since Saturday night on eight boats, four on the island of El Hierro and four on Lanzarote, according to the Maritime Rescue Service.

In one such incident, seven people travelling on a rubber dinghy carrying 139 migrants have died; the dinghy was rescued in the early hours of this morning some 150 kilometres north-east of Arrecife (Lanzarote).

Of those who died, only two bodies, which were still on board the vessel, have been recovered; the other five were thrown overboard into the Atlantic under circumstances that have yet to be clarified, according to the survivors‘ accounts.

Canary Islands: Sea rescue services bring survivors to safe harbours

The Guardamar Urania rescued the vessel at around 5.20 am, with 132 survivors, 120 men and 12 women, and has taken them to Lanzarote.

In addition to this boat, 107 migrants have arrived on El Hierro after travelling aboard a cayuco that was rescued some 9 kilometres from the island late on Saturday evening.

Lanzarote: Sea rescue service rescues three more boats

In addition, early on Monday morning, the Salvamar Acrux rescued another boat carrying 59 men from the Maghreb, 8 kilometres off the north coast of Lanzarote, and brought it into port.

Similarly, the Salvamar Al Nair has rescued two further rubber dinghies, one carrying 35 men and the other 36, all of North African origin, off the coast of Lanzarote.

In addition, the Salvamar Navia has transported a cayuco carrying 90 migrants to the port of La Restinga, on El Hierro, where they arrived at 7.45 am; and another carrying 19 people arrived at the same location at around 10.25 am Canary Islands time, after being escorted by the Salvamar Diphda.