Kathmandu— The bodies of five people have been recovered after a boat carrying West Africans was found adrift off Spain’s Canary Islands, with Spanish migrant aid NGO Caminando Fronteras warning that more than 80 others may have perished. The rescue operation took place on Wednesday evening when Spain's maritime rescue service Salvamento Maritimo rescued 44 men from a boat drifting about 120km (75 miles) south of Gran Canaria.

Rescue Details

The bodies of five individuals were recovered, and three survivors in critical condition were immediately evacuated by helicopter to a hospital on the island. The remaining 41 people received care from the Red Cross. All survivors were men, some underage, and came from Mali or Senegal.

NGO's Higher Toll

Helena Maleno, a spokesperson for Caminando Fronteras, stated on social media that 83 migrants and refugees had died, including three women and a baby girl. The NGO’s data is based on testimonies from migrants’ families and official statistics of those rescued.

Political Response

Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo emphasized the need for a state policy on migration, stating that it was intolerable to continue losing lives. He added that the Atlantic should not be considered a death trap and called for action against such tragedies.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.