Overview

• At least seven people, including four women and three girls aged between five and 16, drowned when an overcrowded boat capsized near La Restinga harbour on El Hierro after passengers shifted en masse during disembarkation.
• Spain’s maritime rescue service reported that the open-topped vessel carrying around 150 migrants from West Africa was being escorted by the Salvamar Diphda when the accident occurred.
• Several children, notably a three-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl, were airlifted to a Tenerife hospital in critical condition while others received treatment on El Hierro.
• Canary Islands regional leader Fernando Clavijo and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez offered condolences and called on the European Union to increase aid for managing the perilous Atlantic migration route.
• Arrivals in the Canary Islands have fallen 34.4% so far in 2025 compared with last year, yet NGOs warn the route remains one of the deadliest, with over 10,400 fatalities recorded in 2024.