A tragic maritime accident occurred off the coast of El Hierro in the Canary Islands on Wednesday morning, when a boat carrying over 100 migrants capsized just metres from shore. The incident happened around 9:30 a.m. near the port of La Restinga, as passengers shifted en masse to one side of the vessel in an attempt to reach safety.
According to local sources, at least seven women and girls lost their lives in the incident. However, a spokesperson from the Government Delegation told news agency EFE that it remains unclear whether the victims died during the capsizing or had already perished earlier in the journey.
Dramatic images from the scene showed Spain’s Salvamar Maritime Rescue team towing the overcrowded boat through the harbor waters. The vessel overturned only five metres from the dock, as rescuers prepared to help passengers disembark onto a waiting rescue boat.
Initial estimates suggest more than 100 people were aboard the vessel, including infants. Many of the occupants were thrown into the sea during the capsize.
Emergency responders at the port—supported by Spain’s National Police, dock personnel, and local diving clubs—have been working tirelessly to assist survivors and recover those who fell into the water.
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‘So far, the capsizing of a boat in La Restinga has resulted in seven deaths: four women, one minor aged 16 and two girls aged 5 each,’ reported the 112 emergency services of the Canary Islands in an update posted on X.
At the port of La Restinga, the Red Cross were also reportedly waiting to assist the migrants.
According to the 112 emergency services, a medical helicopter from the Canary Islands Emergency Service (SUC) has been activated to transport the wounded to hospital in Tenerife.
The President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, has also announced that he is visiting the island and is currently traveling to the port of La Restinga.
Clavijo took to X following the incident, and said: ‘The helplessness is great, much encouragement to the medical and rescue teams who have to face this tragedy’.
At the port of La Restinga, the Red Cross were also reportedly waiting to assist the migrants.
According to the 112 emergency services, a medical helicopter from the Canary Islands Emergency Service (SUC) has been activated to transport the wounded to hospital in Tenerife.
In response to the tragic capsizing of a migrant boat off the coast of El Hierro, President of the Canary Islands Fernando Clavijo announced that he is en route to the port of La Restinga to assess the situation firsthand.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) in the wake of the incident, Clavijo expressed his sorrow: “The sense of helplessness is overwhelming. Deep gratitude and strength to the medical and rescue teams confronting this tragedy.”
His sentiments were echoed by the region’s Vice President, Manuel Domínguez, who described the incident as “deeply saddening and heartbreaking.”
The disaster marks the first arrival of a migrant vessel on El Hierro after nearly two weeks of relative calm along the perilous Atlantic migration route. It also comes just a day after a delegation of Members of the European Parliament visited the island, warning that the flow of migrants to the region is expected to continue in the coming months, according to El País.
This latest tragedy follows another deadly incident just eight months ago, when a boat carrying at least 84 migrants sank off the same coastline.