Spanish maritime rescue services have launched a search for two boats reportedly carrying a total of 23 people who departed from Algeria towards Spain on 4 and 6 October. No further information about either boat has been received since their reported departures, according to alerts shared by the migrant support organisation Alarm Phone.

A helicopter and an aircraft operated by Salvamento Marítimo searched waters south of the Balearic Islands on Sunday, 11 October, but neither boat was located, according to the head of the agency in the Balearic Islands, José Ramón Crespí.

Two Boats Reported Missing After Departing Algeria

The two cases involve separate departures several days apart.

According to information shared by Alarm Phone, the first boat reportedly left Zeralda, Algeria, on 4 October with 17 people aboard, heading towards the Balearic Islands.

The second boat reportedly departed Algeria on 6 October carrying six people and travelling towards Spain.

Alarm Phone said it had received no further information about either group after the reported departures. The organisation also stated that the authorities had been informed of the cases.

Search Conducted South of the Balearic Islands

Salvamento Marítimo deployed a helicopter and an aircraft to search the waters south of the archipelago on Sunday. The operation did not locate either vessel.

Crespí also noted that aircraft operated by Frontex and the Guardia Civil routinely patrol this part of the Mediterranean as part of efforts to monitor possible arrivals by sea.

Alarm Phone has called on the authorities to continue search and rescue efforts to locate the missing boats and the people reportedly travelling aboard them.

No Confirmation of the Boats' Fate

As of the reports published on 12 October, the whereabouts of both boats and the condition of the 23 people remained unknown.

There was no confirmed information establishing what had happened to either vessel. The search operation's failure to locate the boats does not, by itself, establish that they sank or that anyone aboard has died.

The cases remain a search and rescue concern, with the available information pointing to two separate boats that have not been heard from since leaving the Algerian coast.