Lanzarote: Refugee Disaster

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Rescuers have rescued more than 40 people alive off the coast of Lanzarote.

The migrants' rubber dinghy capsized on Thursday evening, at least four people died in the accident, at least two are still missing, including a six-year-old girl.

Residents of the small coastal village of Orzola alerted the rescue workers.

Some rushed to the beach themselves to help.

Marcos Lesmes, local resident

“Yesterday evening around 9:40 pm I got a call from my colleague Marcial, who lives in the upper part of the village. He called me and said, 'Look out, I see lights and I hear screams.' I looked out and actually heard screams. So I told my wife to call 112. I thought about taking my bodyboards so that the same thing doesn't happen to us that happened the last time we didn't have them with us. I got on the bank and it was insane. There was a guy two meters away from me wearing the jersey of the Spanish national team. I had no light so I used the cell phone light and told him to turn on the light for me and then I saw the reef and saw a lot of people. I jumped in the water and started bringing people in with bodyboards. "

The Spanish coast guard continues to search for the missing.

According to the Canarian rescue service, a pregnant woman and three babies with their mothers were taken to a hospital for examination.

In the Canary Islands, the number of incoming refugees has risen sharply since controls on the European southern border were tightened.

According to the Interior Ministry, 23,023 migrants reached the Canary Islands last year, and at least 1,851 people died during the dangerous crossing last year, according to the organization Caminando Fronteras.