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Time of India
6 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Migrant boat capsize kills seven in Spain's Canary Islands
Image: AP MADRID; Four women and three girls died after their migrant boat capsized shortly before reaching safety in Spain's Canary Islands on Wednesday, emergency services said, the latest tragedy on the perilous route. Emergency services in the Atlantic archipelago said rescuers supported by a helicopter were working to save people in the port of La Restinga on the island of El Hierro. Red Cross spokesman Alexis Ramos told RTVE there could be "more than 100 people" on the boat but was unable to provide a figure for the number of missing. Public broadcaster RTVE aired footage of rescuers throwing lifebuoys to people clinging onto an overturned boat and treading water off El Hierro. Emergency services initially confirmed on X "the death of two women after the capsizing of a vessel" in La Restinga and later said "health services confirm another two dead women". The rescuers then reported the death of two girls aged five and another aged 16, which meant the incident "has resulted in seven people dead". A three-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl were being treated after they almost drowned and would be transported by helicopter to a hospital in Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, the emergency services added on X. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Four other minors with breathing difficulties were being taken to hospital on El Hierro, they added. Spain takes in each year tens of thousands of Europe-bound migrants who arrive in the Canary Islands from west Africa -- with Mali, Senegal and Morocco the most common nationalities. Strong ocean currents and ramshackle vessels make the long crossing dangerous. According to the NGO Caminando Fronteras, at least 10,457 migrants died or disappeared while trying to reach Spain by sea from January 1 to December 5, 2024. Local authorities have consistently warned of unsustainable pressure on their resources and complained about a lack of solidarity from the rest of the country. "Once again we witness the harshest face of immigration which those far away fail to appreciate in its true measure," the Canary Islands' regional leader Fernando Clavijo said on X. "Please listen to us!" Almost 47,000 irregular arrivals reached the archipelago in 2024, breaking the annual record for the second year running, as tighter controls in the Mediterranean pushed migrants to attempt the Atlantic route. But numbers are down so far this year, dropping 34.4 percent between January 1 and May 15 compared with the same period in 2024, according to the latest interior ministry figures.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Time of India
Spain to limit access to Madrid airport for nontravelers because of homeless encampment problem
Photo: AP MADRID: Spain's airport authority will start to limit access to Madrid's airport during some parts of the day as a preventive measure to stop more homeless people from sleeping in its terminals. Only travelers with boarding passes, airport employees and those accompanying someone with a ticket will be allowed to enter the airport during hours with few departing and arriving flights, Spain's airport authority AENA said on Wednesday night. AENA said the limits would be implemented sometime in the the next few days, but did not specify exactly when or during what hours of the day. For months, the Spanish capital's airport has seen homeless encampments in some of its terminals with individuals in sleeping bags occupying space near walls and bathrooms. Local media described the number of homeless people to be in the hundreds. This week, AENA said it had asked Madrid city officials for help in addressing the problem months ago, but so far has received insufficient help. "Airports are not places designed for living in, but rather are infrastructure solely for transit, which in no case offers adequate conditions for overnight stays," AENA said in a statement Wednesday. A political blame game between authorities at different levels of government has left the issue largely unaddressed before the peak summer travel season. Spain received a record 94 million international tourists in 2024.
