MADRID, Nov 8 (NNN-Xinhua) — A boat carrying immigrants capsized off the coast of the island of Lanzarote in the Spanish Canary Islands, killing nine people, local rescue services confirmed on Thursday.
The tragedy happened in the early hours of Wednesday morning when the boat hit rocks close to the town of Teguise on the east coast of the popular holiday island while battling adverse weather conditions.
According to the survivors, there were 12-16 immigrants on the boat.
Four people were rescued alive while five bodies were found on Wednesday, and the Maritime Rescue Services, Civil Guards and the local police were still searching for the missing people.
Wednesday’s incident is the latest in a series of tragedies involving immigrants attempting to reach the Canary Islands, which lies 100-300 km off the northwest coast of Africa. — NNN-XINHUA
