OMM Newsroom
At least seven people died aboard a migrant boat bound for Spain’s Canary Islands, Anadolu Agency reported, citing Spanish news agency EFE and the country’s maritime rescue service.
Rescuers reached the boat early Monday about 150 kilometres (93 miles) northeast of Arrecife, the capital of Lanzarote. Nearly 140 people were on board.
Two bodies remained aboard. Survivors said five other bodies had been thrown into the Atlantic during the crossing.
Three more boats carrying a total of 132 people reached Arrecife early Monday, broadcaster “Cadena SER” reported, citing the Canary Islands’ emergency coordination centre.
Heavy rain hit parts of the archipelago on Monday. The regional government issued its highest rain alert for eastern La Palma, one of the western Canary Islands.
Sea arrivals in the Canary Islands rose 285% in October compared with the same month last year, “Cadena SER” reported, citing the regional government.
However, arrivals between Jan. 1 and Oct. 15 were down 33.5% from the same period in 2025. Spain’s Interior Ministry recorded 8,970 people arriving by sea in the Canary Islands during that period, compared with 13,491 a year earlier.
