Seventeen migrants died trying to reach Spain's Balearic Islands after a 15-day journey, Spanish authorities said Tuesday, citing the testimony of two survivors rescued off Mallorca.
The two survivors, from North African countries, were taken to hospital showing symptoms of dehydration and malnutrition, according to the Spanish government. They said 19 people had originally been aboard the boat. Authorities said they could not confirm the deaths through other sources.
A helicopter was sent to search the area near the rescue site, and a notice was issued to vessels in the area. The boat was located roughly 13 nautical miles southwest of Mallorca.
Second boat rescue near Mallorca
Separately, also near Mallorca, Spanish authorities rescued 17 migrants and recovered two bodies from a dinghy believed to have been carrying around 30 people in total. Searches for the rest were continuing late into the afternoon.
From January to June this year, the route from Algeria to the Balearic Islands was the fastest-growing migration route into the European Union, even as overall arrivals to Europe declined, according to the European border agency Frontex. Arrivals in Spain fell 25% this year, based on Interior Ministry figures. Frontex said last year that smugglers were shifting operations from Morocco to Algeria, believing checks there were less strict, while also using faster boats.
