Seven reported dead on migrant boat rescued near Lanzarote

Seven people are reported to have died during a migrant boat’s journey towards Lanzarote, after rescuers found two bodies on board and survivors said another five had been put overboard.

The inflatable boat was found around 150 kilometres northeast of Arrecife in the early hours of this morning (Monday). Spain’s maritime rescue service recovered 132 survivors, including 120 men and 12 women.

The Guardamar Urania carried out the rescue shortly before 5.30am and began taking those on board towards Lanzarote.

Two bodies were recovered from the boat. According to accounts given by survivors, five other people had died during the crossing and their bodies had been thrown into the Atlantic.

The circumstances surrounding those deaths remain unclear. The identities, ages and nationalities of those who died have not been made public.

The distinction between the two recovered bodies and the five additional deaths reported by survivors is important as emergency services establish what happened during the journey.

The operation was one of several rescues off Lanzarote this morning.

In a separate intervention, the Salvamar Acrux rescued 59 men from another boat and took them to Arrecife. A further two boats carrying a combined 71 people were rescued by the Salvamar Al Nair and their occupants were also brought ashore in the island’s capital.

An updated morning tally put the number of survivors rescued from the four boats at 262.

The seven reported deaths relate to the boat assisted by the Guardamar Urania. No deaths were reported in the other three rescues in the information available.

Further details about the survivors’ health and the circumstances of the fatal crossing had not been confirmed at the time of writing.