Seven people have disappeared after a boat with fifty occupants on board sank 78 kilometers east of Lanzarote, on a frantic night for the crews of Maritime Rescue on the island, who have rescued 171 immigrants in four boats.
The sinking of the boat occurred when the Moroccan fishing vessel Maranda approached the area, offering assistance to its occupants and picking up 41 people from the water until the Guardamar Polimnia arrived from Lanzarote, which rescued another two men, as reported to EFE by a spokesperson for Maritime Rescue.
The state company is aware that at least two people may have disappeared. However, upon reaching land, the survivors have warned that seven are missing: three men, three women and a child of about four years old, emergency services involved in the assistance have told EFE.
Although they became known on Monday morning, the events occurred on Sunday evening, after the fishing vessel alerted around 6:15 p.m. that it had in sight a boat overloaded with immigrants, so Maritime Rescue asked it to stay next to it until a rescue boat arrived from Arrecife.
When the Guardamar Polimnia arrived in the area, between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., the zodiac had already sunk and the Maranda was assisting shipwrecked people from the water, a task to which the Spanish boat and the Salvamento Helimer 204 helicopter joined.
Seven missing, including a four-year-old child, after a boat sinks near Lanzarote
The missing are three men, three women and a child of about four years, according to the testimony of the other occupants of the boat
October 2 2023 (09:10 WEST)
Updated in
October 2 2023 (10:39 WEST)
