33 missing after two boat incidents

At least 33 people are missing following two separate boat incidents off the coast of Spain’s Balearic Islands on August 4, according to Alarm Phone.

The migrant support organisation said two boats sank in the western Mediterranean, with survivors reporting that dozens of people remain unaccounted for.

Alarm Phone said one of the boats departed with 19 people on board and was found after spending 15 days at sea. Only two survivors were rescued, leaving 17 people missing.

In the second incident, a boat carrying 30 people was spotted by a merchant vessel, which alerted the coast guard. The boat was later found with 12 survivors and the bodies of two people, while 16 others remained missing.

According to survivors, a baby was among those still unaccounted for.

Alarm Phone expressed sorrow and anger over the deaths and disappearances, blaming what it described as the devastating consequences of Europe’s border policies.

The organisation said its thoughts and solidarity were with the families of those missing and the survivors who endured what it described as a traumatic experience.

The incidents add to concerns over the continuing loss of life along Mediterranean migration routes, where people attempting to reach Europe often undertake dangerous sea crossings in unseaworthy vessels.