BARCELONA, Spain: Four women were tragically discovered deceased on a migrant boat spotted adrift off the southeast coast of Spain, according to maritime rescue officials on Friday.
The rescue operation was initiated late Thursday after authorities received reports of a semi-rigid boat drifting approximately 11 nautical miles off Cartagena on Spain’s Mediterranean coast.
Upon reaching the vessel, rescuers uncovered the bodies of four individuals, all confirmed to be women, as later confirmed by the maritime rescue service on X (formerly Twitter).
Spain’s Guardia Civil police, leading the investigation, suspects that the boat was attempting to reach Spain from North Africa but had run out of fuel during the perilous journey.
Spain remains a primary entry point for migrants seeking refuge and opportunities in Europe, with 56,852 undocumented migrants reaching Spanish shores last year—a notable 82 percent increase from 2022.
The Canary Islands, situated in the Atlantic off Africa’s western coast, received the majority of these arrivals.
Tragically, several thousand individuals lose their lives annually while attempting this perilous journey.
