Death toll in Spain's Ceuta migrant rush rises to 77, officials say

The death toll from last week's migrant rush into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta rose to 77 on Tuesday, officials said, up from a previous count of 75. Tens of thousands of migrants crossed from Morocco starting July 30, with many drowning while trying to swim around a sea barrier.

How many people have died in Ceuta's migrant rush?

A Spanish forensic and Civil Guard team recovered 79 bodies from the sea near Ceuta, though two were pulled out on July 29 and early July 30, before the mass crossing began. That leaves a confirmed toll of 77. Investigators have completed 77 autopsies and identified two victims already registered in Spain through fingerprint records.

Authorities will need to send fingerprint data to Morocco to attempt identification of the remaining victims, the legal body overseeing the process said. Spain's delegation in Ceuta had raised the toll from 72 to 75 earlier on Tuesday, before the final figure of 77 was confirmed.

How many people died on the Moroccan side of the border?

Morocco's interior ministry said Sunday that 11 people died on its side of the border during the same events, nearly all by drowning. The deaths occurred as migrants attempted the crossing into Ceuta from Moroccan territory. The Moroccan toll is tracked separately from Spain's count of 77.

How many migrants crossed into Ceuta, and how many have returned?

Spain says about 70,000 of the roughly 72,000 migrants who reached Ceuta have since returned to Morocco. The crossing marked one of the largest single migrant surges the territory has recorded. The scale of the event triggered a diplomatic crisis between Madrid and its European Union partners.

What conditions do migrants who remain in Ceuta face?

Those still in Ceuta face squalid living conditions with limited access to shelter, food, water and sanitation, AFP reporters on the ground said. Aid access remains constrained as authorities continue processing the aftermath of the crossing. The situation has kept pressure on Spanish and EU officials to respond.