Spain’s EFE news agency reported that the number of people who lost their lives during irregular migration attempts toward the city of Ceuta has risen to 67, citing sources from the Spanish Government Delegation in the enclave, following the mass crossing attempts recorded over the past two days.
According to the same sources, Spanish Civil Guard units are continuing search and recovery operations near the Tarajal border breakwater in an effort to locate additional victims or people who remain missing after thousands of migrants attempted to reach Ceuta by sea since last Thursday.
In response to the growing number of recovered bodies, the Spanish authorities have prepared a dedicated area at the Port of Ceuta to receive the victims while identification procedures are carried out. Forensic pathologists and specialized identification teams are also expected to arrive from mainland Spain to assist with autopsies and victim identification.
EFE added that the latest figures bring the total number of migrants who have died this year while attempting to reach Ceuta by sea to 99. Spanish authorities continue to monitor developments and coordinate ongoing search, recovery and emergency response operations.