More than 80 migrants are feared dead or missing after a small boat carrying more than 120 people was found drifting near Spain’s Canary Islands following a journey of nearly four weeks across the Atlantic Ocean.

The boat is believed to have departed from Gambia 27 days earlier with around 128 people on board. Spanish maritime rescue teams found the vessel about 120 kilometers southwest of Gran Canaria, where only 45 survivors and five bodies were found.

According to survivors, more than 80 people died or disappeared during the crossing, including women and a baby. The figure has not been independently confirmed, while Spanish rescue authorities confirmed the presence of five bodies aboard the vessel.

The boat was located after a Spanish maritime rescue aircraft detected it drifting in the Atlantic. Rescue teams transferred the survivors to the port of Arguineguín in Gran Canaria. Several survivors were reported to be in poor health, with some receiving urgent medical treatment.

Spanish authorities said markings on the boat matched those of a vessel reported missing after leaving the Gambian coast on August 7. The survivors told the Red Cross that they had started the journey from Gambia with more than 100 people on board.

The Atlantic migration route from West Africa to the Canary Islands is considered one of the most dangerous routes toward Europe, with migrants often facing long journeys, difficult sea conditions and a lack of adequate supplies.

The latest tragedy has once again drawn attention to the risks faced by migrants attempting to reach Europe through irregular maritime routes.(ILKHA)