Spanish police announced Wednesday the arrest of 19 people suspected of killing and torturing fellow passengers on a migrant boat that left Senegal for the Canary Islands, after more than 50 people were reported missing on arrival.
Authorities said the vessel, rescued on August 24 in the Atlantic near the Canaries, carried 248 migrants, though about 300 had originally departed. This suggests dozens may have been thrown overboard during the 11-day journey.
According to survivor testimonies cited by police, some detainees brutally beat passengers, hurled others alive into the sea and refused to help those who fell overboard. Investigators said several killings were linked to superstitions, with victims accused of witchcraft and blamed for engine failures, food shortages and storms. Others were killed after protesting harsh living conditions.
The suspects remain in custody, facing charges of murder, torture, assault and facilitating irregular migration.
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