At least 18 people have died trying to reach Spain's Ceuta enclave, after around 49,000 migrants crossed the border from Morocco and flooded into the tiny territory. According to a local official, many drowned, while others died in a stampede as they tried to cross the breakwater at Tarajal beach.
Spain sent reinforcements of troops and police to Ceuta on Thursday after migrants crossed both by land and by sea. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is expected to visit Ceuta on Friday morning along with Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.
Rachid Sbihi, head of the local workers' association representing Civil Guard officers, described the situation as a "serious humanitarian crisis." He said: "People are still streaming in. The reinforcements sent in are only helping the wounded and supporting other humanitarian operations."
According to Sbihi, thousands of people, including unaccompanied children, have no shelter and are sleeping in parks, on sidewalks, while others wander the streets. "It's chaos," he said.
Of the 18 dead, many drowned but others died in a stampede crossing the breakwater at Tarajal beach, Sbihi said.
Video footage from Thursday showed crowds of people walking around the breakwaters at Tarajal beach and heading toward local roads. Most were young men, but there were also families with women and young children. Some shouted "Viva España!" upon seeing a freelance photographer working for AP. The reason why so many are trying to cross to Ceuta was not immediately clear.
Ceuta, along with Melilla, another Spanish autonomous city on Morocco's northern coast, are the only European territories with a land border on the African continent. Both cities are frequent targets for migrants trying to reach Europe.
