MADRID (AP) — Nine people have died and another 48 are missing after a boat carrying migrants capsized during a rescue operation near the Canary Islands, Spanish authorities said Saturday.

Spain’s maritime rescue service said that the tragedy occurred after it was alerted to the presence of a small boat loaded with people some 6 1/2 kilometers (4 miles) from the island of El Hierro. The boat turned over when too many people moved to one side during the rescue attempt, according to a statement by the rescue service.

Rescuers have saved 27 people and confirmed nine dead.

The service said that the scue operation was made more difficult because it was carried out during the night and under gusts of winds that reached 20 knots. Rescue craft and helicopters of the maritime rescue service, the Civil Guard, the Red Cross and the local government all participated in the operation.

The Atlantic route for migrants from West Africa to the Canary Islands is one of the deadliest in the world. While there is no accurate death toll because of the lack of information on departures from West Africa, Spanish migrant rights group Walking Borders estimates the victims are in the thousands.

Over 26,000 people have arrived via sea to the Canary Islands so far this year, compared to some 14,000 in the same period last year.

Located nearer to Africa than mainland Spain, the archipelago seen by most as a step toward continental Europe. Many come from Mali as well as youth from Senegal, Mauritania and other West African countries seeking better job opportunities abroad or fleeing violence and political instability.

___

Follow AP coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/migration