300 migrants disappear at sea off the coast of Africa
At least 300 people traveling on three migrant boats from Senegal to Spain’s Canary Islands have disappeared, aid group Walking Borders said on Sunday.
Two boats, one with about 65 people and another with 50 to 60 people on board, have been missing for 15 days since they left Senegal to try to reach Spain, Helena Maleno of Walking Borders told Reuters.
A third boat left Senegal on June 27 with around 200 people on board.
The families of those on board have not heard from them since they left, Maleno said.
All three boats departed from Kafountine in southern Senegal, which is about 1,700 kilometers from Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands.
“Families are very concerned. There are about 300 people from the same area of Senegal. They left because of the instability in the country,” said Maleno.
The Canary Islands, off the coast of West Africa, have become the main destination for migrants trying to reach Spain, with much smaller numbers also seeking to cross the Mediterranean Sea into Spain. Summer is the period with the most attempted crossings.
Reuters/G1/ANI/GNI
