A six-month-old baby who was rescued in a critical condition after arriving in El Hierro aboard a migrant boat has died in hospital in Tenerife, as confirmed by the Canary Islands Government.
The infant suffered a cardiac arrest after the vessel reached La Restinga following an 11-day Atlantic crossing. Emergency teams managed to revive the child at the dock before they were airlifted to Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria in Tenerife, where they later died on Monday.
The baby becomes the second fatality linked to the same boat, after the body of a woman, identified by fellow passengers as Binta Colly, was recovered during the rescue operation.
Authorities have not released any further details about the child's identity.
Gruelling 11-day journey
The wooden boat had departed from Banjul, The Gambia, carrying migrants from Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea and Mali.
It was located close to El Hierro on the afternoon of 22nd July with 165 people on board, including:
The passengers had spent 11 days at sea under extremely difficult conditions.
Many required urgent medical treatment
The condition of those on board was so severe that 23 people required immediate medical attention after reaching land, with 15 admitted to hospital, including the six-month-old baby who was transferred to Tenerife for specialist care.
The tragedy highlights once again the dangers faced by migrants attempting the Atlantic crossing to the Canary Islands, one of the world's deadliest migration routes.
