Tragedy near Ceuta: Death Toll of Migrants Rises to 96, Most Drowned
Official figures reveal 82 victims on the Spanish side and 14 on the Moroccan side, while activists claim the real death toll is as high as 141.
Official figures reveal 82 victims on the Spanish side and 14 on the Moroccan side, while activists claim the real death toll is as high as 141.
The total number of fatalities in the mass attempt by migrants to storm the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, which occurred a week ago, has reached 96. The new figures were released on Saturday by Spanish television RTVE, based on official records. Most of the victims, 82 of them, lost their lives on Spanish territory, while 14 people died on the Moroccan side of the border.
Unofficial estimates, however, suggest a significantly higher number of casualties. The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) reports 141 deaths, including victims linked to a similar incident near Melilla, the other Spanish enclave located on the African continent.
Manuel Aparcero, director of the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Ceuta, confirmed that the predominant cause of death was mechanical asphyxia due to drowning. Although autopsies of all recovered bodies have been completed, the identification process is progressing extremely slowly. So far, only six individuals have been identified, all of whom were adult Moroccan nationals.
In an effort to expedite the process, the Spanish Civil Guard has sent the victims' fingerprints to Moroccan authorities for comparison with their national databases. Additional assistance has come from forensic experts from several cities across Spain, including Cáceres, Salamanca, Valladolid, Toledo, and Guadalajara.
Rescuers and emergency personnel faced dramatic scenes at the breakwater near Tarajal Beach. According to their accounts, at the most critical moments, between 60 and 100 exhausted people were arriving on the Spanish shore every minute.
"When we arrived, the scene was harrowing. It was a mass influx of migrants, and many were already dead, while others were in the terminal stages of exhaustion," Aparcero told RTVE.
He added that medical teams on the ground desperately tried to revive a large number of casualties, but in many cases, their efforts were unsuccessful.
On the other side of the border, the Moroccan National Council for Human Rights (CNDH) has registered 236 injured individuals, 87 of whom were security forces personnel. In connection with the organization of the illegal crossing, approximately 100 people have been detained in the Ceuta area, including 11 minors, with an additional 23 arrests made near Melilla.
The violence that erupted on the Moroccan side also resulted in significant material damage. CNDH data indicates that around 90 vehicles, both private and official, were destroyed.
An investigation conducted by the CNDH revealed that social media played a crucial role in coordinating this mass event. Twenty-three Facebook groups with over a million members were analyzed, within which, according to the investigation's findings, information was exchanged about movement routes, timing of the action, and methods of crossing the sea toward Ceuta.
As an additional motivating factor, the CNDH cites a misinterpretation of a ruling by Spain's Supreme Court that prohibits the immediate return of migrants from the sea. It is believed that this may have spurred further organization. Pressure on the enclave shows no signs of abating; on Friday, a migrant died while attempting to enter Ceuta using a paraglider.
Local authorities in Ceuta are currently under immense strain. The enclave has registered 1,342 minors, and their transfer to the Spanish mainland is expected to begin in the coming weeks. This tragedy once again brings into focus the capacity of Spanish enclaves to accommodate migrants and the broader European migration policies.
