‘At least 300 people travelling in boats from Senegal to Spain are missing’

Dakar: At least 300 people travelling in three boats from Senegal to Spain are missing, a Spanish aid group said Monday.

Two boats departed from Mbour city on June 23 carrying about 100 people and a third left the southern town of Kafountine four days later with approximately 200 people, said Helena Maleno Garzon, coordinator for Walking Borders (Caminando Fronteras).

“The most important thing is to find those people.

There are many people missing in the sea, this isn’t normal, we need more planes to look for them,” she told The Associated Press.

There has been no contact with the boats since their departure, she said.

The Spanish and Senegalese authorities didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Atlantic migration route is one of the deadliest in the world, with nearly 800 people dying or going missing in the first half of this year, according to

Walking Borders.