At least 7 die aboard migrant boat bound for Canary Islands

At least seven people died aboard a migrant boat bound for Spain's Canary Islands, Spanish news agency EFE reported Monday, citing the country's maritime rescue service.

Rescuers reached the boat early Monday about 150 kilometers (93 miles) northeast of Arrecife, the capital of Lanzarote. Nearly 140 people were aboard.

Two bodies were still on board. Survivors said the bodies of five others had been thrown into the Atlantic during the crossing.

Three other boats carrying a total of 132 people reached Arrecife early Monday, broadcaster Cadena SER reported, citing the Canary Islands' emergency coordination center.

Heavy rain hit parts of the archipelago Monday, with the regional government issuing its highest rain alert for eastern La Palma, one of the western Canary Islands.

Sea arrivals in the Canary Islands rose 285% in October compared with the same month last year, Cadena SER reported, citing the regional government.

Over the longer period from Jan. 1 to Oct. 15, however, arrivals were down 33.5% from 2025. Spain's Interior Ministry recorded 8,970 people arriving by sea in the Canary Islands during that period, compared with 13,491 a year earlier.