One infant died Saturday in a shipwreck in the western Mediterranean Sea, the Red Cross announced. The boat was carrying more than 50 people. Around 460 other migrants were rescued by Spanish coast guard in separate operations.
A dinghy carrying 57 people across the Alboran Sea capsized on Saturday, leading to the death of an infant on board.
Most of the remaining 55 people who were on the dinghy were rescued. Among the rescued were five small children and several women. German news agency dpa reported one missing man after the shipwreck. Another baby nearly met the same fate as the deceased baby, but was revived, according to Spanish news agency Europa Press.
The migrants were primarily from sub-Saharan countries in Africa. Five people were hospitalized in the city of Almeria after being rescued.
Rough day, year for crossing
The Spanish meteorological agency AEMET warned of strong winds along the Almeria coastline for Saturday, according to Europa Press. So the refugees on this dinghy were not the only ones in danger on Saturday.
Dpa reported that 465 people needed to be rescued on Saturday by Spanish sea rescue services in the western Mediterranean Sea.
The number of refugees attempting to cross into Spain has increased dramatically this year, as Italy has refused to allow several rescue ships to dock on their shores. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said about 46,000 refugees of all ages have attempted to cross the western Mediterranean through October 24, a three-fold increase from last year. Of those who attempted, 547 have died trying to cross the sea, said the IOM.