More than 650 migrants arrive on Spanish Canary Islands in 2 days. One boat carried 280 people

MADRID (AP) — Emergency services on the Spanish Canary Islands say that more than 650 migrants reached El Hierro island in five large wooden boats over the past two days. The island’s emergency service says one of four boats that arrived Tuesday was carrying 280 migrants. That’s the largest number in a single boat since migrants began to use the Canary Island route in 1994. Hundreds of other migrants were intercepted trying to reach other islands or mainland Spain in recent days. Spain’s Interior Ministry says nearly 15,000 migrants reached the Canary Islands by boat in the first nine months of the year. That’s a 20% increase from same period last year. Most departed from Senegal.