On Wednesday morning, the bodies of five deceased migrants were delivered to the port of Cartagena after being discovered the previous evening in open sea by the crew of the cruise ship Sapphire Princess. According to authorities, the bodies were located approximately 140 nautical miles east of Cabo de Palos. The vessel was en route from Cagliari (Sardinia) and reported the discovery immediately, allowing for a prompt rescue operation to be organized.
Police are currently investigating whether these victims might have been passengers on the same boat intercepted off the coast of Murcia on Monday. At that time, there were five people on board, three of whom were already dead. The two survivors said that there had been at least 15 people on the boat from Algeria. However, as government representatives clarified, there is still no confirmation that the bodies found by the Sapphire Princess belonged to this particular group.
Investigation and arrest
One of the two survivors, who was taken to hospital showing signs of dehydration and exhaustion, was detained by police on suspicion of operating the illegal boat. The second survivor, according to investigators, was a regular passenger. Both have been discharged from the hospital. Investigators are also looking into whether the missing passengers might have been forced to leave the boat due to a lack of food and water—a tragedy that has previously occurred on this route.
Prolonged drifting and new incidents
According to preliminary data, the boat may have been at sea for up to three weeks, although the journey from Algeria to Murcia usually takes less than a day. On Wednesday morning, another boat carrying 24 migrants, including two minors, was intercepted off the coast of Cartagena. All were in satisfactory condition.
Context and statistics
From the beginning of the year until April 15, more than 5,000 people arrived in Spain by sea, which is 61.2% less than in the same period last year, according to the Ministry of the Interior. However, official regional statistics are not published. Migrant tragedies in the Mediterranean continue to cause public outcry, as do other major incidents involving loss of life in transportation. For example, recently a family from Catalonia filed a lawsuit against an American company after their relatives died in a plane crash over the Hudson—more about this case can be found in the article about lawsuits after the tragedy in New York.
