Victim of drug smuggling boat collision in Moroccan waters declared brain-dead

Pedro Fernández, the Spanish government delegate for the Andalusia region, has announced that one of the individuals injured in a collision involving three drug trafficking boats near Moroccan waters is brain-dead.

The accident occurred in Moroccan waters, but the injured were later transferred to the Sancti Petri area in the city of Chiclana de la Frontera for medical treatment. The incident also led to the arrest of six individuals.

In a statement to reporters, Fernandez explained that the collision took place in the waters off Larache, where two boats were stationary when a third boat collided with them.

The impact caused injuries among the individuals, who then boarded one of the stationary boats and called for emergency assistance. They made their way to the Sancti Petri coastline in Chiclana. Among the individuals involved, all were Spanish nationals except for one Moroccan.

Upon reaching the beach, the Civil Guard arrested the group. Two of the injured were hospitalized; one was later discharged and taken into custody, while the other remains brain-dead, with a «very uncertain» prognosis.

«The incident occurred in waters that are almost Moroccan, but they ultimately sought help in Spanish waters», Fernandez said. He added that the circumstances leading to the collision between the drug smuggling boat and the two stationary boats remain unclear.