No fewer than eighteen migrants have been confirmed dead and many others were injured after a huge crowd tried to cross into Spain’s North African enclave of Melilla, officials from neighbouring Morocco have revealed.
Africa Today News, New York gathered that some of those who died had fallen from the top of a border fence in their desperation to scale through.
Several security personnel and migrants were admitted to hospital for treatment following clashes early on Friday.
It was the first such attempted mass crossing since Spain and Morocco resumed diplomatic ties in March.
Read Also: Over 40 Migrants Drown Off Western Sahara – Officials
The thaw in relations came after Spain supported Morocco’s autonomy plan for the disputed region of Western Sahara.
Spanish officials say several hundred people tried to break through into the enclave after cutting fencing.
Most were forced back but more than 100 got through and were being processed at a reception centre, they added.
Melilla and Ceuta, another Spanish enclave, have in recent years become a focal point for mostly sub-Saharan migrants attempting to reach Europe.
This is coming less than a week after we reported that no fewer than 44 migrants drowned when their boat capsized off the coast of Western Sahara, migrant aid agency Caminando Fronteras have confirmed.
Africa Today News, New York gathered that about twelve others survived the unforeseen tragedy, which happened when the boat sunk off the coast of Cap Boujdour, the agency’s Helena Maleno tweeted.
He also added that the survivors were arrested, Maleno and taken into custody.
They would now face prosecution after the conclusion of investigations
She went on to reveal that the bodies of seven victims were brought back to shore but the others could not be retrieved.
Meanwhile, there was no immediate confirmation from authorities in Morocco, which sees disputed Western Sahara as an integral part of the North African kingdom.