17 Bodies in Tetouan Amidst Ceuta Tragedy; 70 Arrested in Fnideq Facing Heavy Charges

A humanitarian tragedy has unfolded on the Mediterranean coast as the death toll from a massive, unprecedented surge of migrants attempting to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta climbs. Moroccan authorities have recovered 17 bodies in Tetouan, with three more discovered Friday. These include a young man from Oujda, a Sudanese migrant, and a 12-year-old girl whose identity remains unknown. All bodies are undergoing medical examination to determine the cause of death before being released to families after identification.

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The three bodies were of a young Moroccan man from Oujda, a Sudanese migrant, and a 12-year-old girl who is still unidentified.

Of the 17 bodies, two have been identified and returned to their families. The majority of victims remain unidentified, though some are known to be from Casablanca, Martil, El Ksar El Kebir, M'diq, and Oujda, with two victims identified as Yemeni and Sudanese nationals. Meanwhile, Moroccan authorities have detained 70 individuals in Fnideq, near the Ceuta border crossing. They face serious charges, including attempted murder, arson, and destruction of state and private property, carrying severe legal penalties.

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The public prosecutor's office has ordered medical examinations for all bodies as part of the legal procedure to determine the causes of death and complete judicial and administrative procedures before handing them over to their families after completing the identification process.

On the Spanish side, authorities have recovered 57 bodies. Many are believed to have drowned while attempting to swim around the maritime barrier at Tarajal, while others died in stampedes or while trying to breach border installations. Search efforts continue for potential missing persons. Spanish data indicates that between 50,000 and 60,000 people reached Ceuta in less than 48 hours, with over 48,000 voluntarily returning to Morocco or being repatriated. This influx far surpassed the total irregular crossings recorded in Ceuta since 2017, which stood at 20,037.

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Seventy people have been arrested in connection with the events that took place in the city of Fnideq near the occupied Ceuta crossing.