Seventeen migrants died after their small boat drifted for 15 days in the Mediterranean before reaching the Balearic Islands, with only two survivors found aboard when rescuers intervened early Tuesday. The vessel, which had departed North Africa with 19 people on board, was located 12.6 nautical miles southwest of Mallorca after a Balearia ferry on the Barcelona-Algeria route raised the alarm.
The two survivors, showing signs of dehydration and malnutrition, were taken to Son Espases University Hospital in Palma. Maritime rescue services deployed a helicopter to search the area southwest of Mallorca, while the bodies of the deceased were cast overboard as they died during the ordeal. In a separate operation at 05:15, 15 more migrants were rescued 30 miles southwest of Ibiza.
Balearic President Marga Prohens called for the deployment of Frontex and all available European mechanisms to reinforce external border controls. The rights group Caminando Fronteras estimates 507 people have died on the Balearic route in the first five months of 2026.