Two migratory tragedies in one day in the Balearic Islands leave at least 19 dead and a dozen missing
Two survivors assure that 17 people died after fifteen days adrift, while another shipwreck off Cabrera has caused two deaths and maintains a search operation for missing persons
PalmaThe migratory route to the Balearic Islands experienced one of the most tragic days in recent years this Tuesday. Two boats attempting to reach the islands ended in disaster: one with at least 17 deaths, according to the testimony of the two sole survivors rescued south of Mallorca, and another that capsized off Cabrera, with a provisional toll of two dead, 17 rescued, and about ten missing.
The first case became known at dawn, when Salvament Marítim rescued two people of Maghrebi origin 12.68 nautical miles southwest of Mallorca. The two survivors, transferred to Son Espases University Hospital with signs of severe malnutrition and dehydration, told the rescue teams that a total of 19 people were traveling on board the raft and that the other 17 would have died after 15 days adrift. Following this account, Salvament Marítim activated a helicopter to search the area and issued a notice to mariners to try to locate possible survivors or traces of the shipwreck.
A second shipwreck off Cabrera
Hours later, the Spanish government's delegation in the Balearic Islands reported another serious incident. Salvamento Marítimo and the Guardia Civil located a capsized raft eight miles southeast of Cabrera, after receiving an alert that two people had been seen in the water around 12 p.m. A Salvamento Marítimo helicopter initially rescued two people of sub-Saharan origin, who were also transferred to Son Espases. In parallel, the Maritime Service of the Guardia Civil recovered 12 survivors and two bodies between 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
In addition, the same helicopter rescued three more people who were evacuated to the Son Llàtzer University Hospital. In total, the operation allowed for the rescue of 17 people, three of whom are women, while six required hospitalization for burns, exhaustion, and other complications derived from the crossing. According to initial investigations, the raft capsized around 7 a.m. on Monday and was carrying around 30 people. Authorities suspect it could be a vessel that Salvamento Marítimo had already lost track of. If this hypothesis is confirmed, there would still be about ten people missing.
Five rafts missing in July
The air and sea assets of Maritime Rescue and the Civil Guard continue to search the area due to the possibility of finding more survivors. These two tragedies coincide with the alert issued by the NGO Caminant Fronteres, which has knowledge that during the month of July at least five rafts with 76 people on board disappeared while trying to reach the Balearic Islands. For now, it is unknown if either of the two vessels involved in Tuesday's incidents corresponds to any of these cases reported by the victims' families.