National authorities have arrested a group of 19 accused of murder and brutal abuse after more than 50 people went missing from a vessel sailing from West Africa to the Canary Islands.
Police believe some passengers were labeled of being "witches" following multiple events throughout the voyage, such as engine failure, stormy conditions, and lack of supplies.
The boat was rescued south of Gran Canaria on 24 August with 248 people aboard, as stated by law enforcement.
However, authorities estimate that about 300 individuals were initially aboard, and that some were pushed into the sea.
Survivors reported to authorities that a number of their travel companions began "assaulting many of people, striking and mistreating them in various ways," a police statement indicated.
"On several occasions, they threw migrants into the sea while still breathing and refused to rescue those who fell in inadvertently."
Alleged killings were also documented "merely due to the fact that some people protested or voiced their dissatisfaction with the situation of the voyage," the statement said.
A male passenger passed away in hospital after being found in critical condition when the boat was intercepted, as per reports.
Passengers consisted of people from Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea-Bissau backgrounds, news outlets reported.
Each of the detained individuals are in pretrial detention charged with aiding irregular immigration, homicide, physical violence, and severe abuse.
The country is among the frontline gateways for irregular migration into Europe, with the majority arriving via the Atlantic islands.
Almost 47,000 migrants reached the archipelago in 2024, setting a record for a consecutive year, but numbers have been significantly reduced so far this year, according to official data.
