At least four people died and 17 still missing as Spanish fishing vessel sinks off Canada
February 15, 2022, 4:35 pm

At least four people died and 17 still missing as Spanish fishing vessel sinks off Canada

Fishing vessel/Pixabay

The Xinhua reported, Spanish Maritime Rescue Services confirmed on Tuesday that at least four people have died and another 17 are still missing after a Spanish fishing vessel sank in waters off Newfoundland, the most easterly province in Canada.

The 50-meter vessel, Villa de Pitanxo, which was based in the port of Marin in the north-western region of Galicia and had a crew of 24, is reported to have sunk overnight Monday at a distance of around 450 kilometers from the Canadian coast, prompting the start of a rescue operation.

Three of the Villa de Pitanxo's life-rafts have been discovered, but two of them were "completely empty," according to Maica Larriba, the Spanish government's subdelegate in the region of Pontevedra. The other life-raft contained three survivors, all of whom were suffering from hypothermia due to "very low temperatures."

Newfoundland, the most easterly province in Canada/Pixabay

Twelve of the crew have Spanish passports, while the rest from other countries, such as Peru and Ghana.

Spain's Minister for Territorial Policy and Government Spokesperson, Isabel Rodriguez, confirmed in a press conference that the government was following developments with "worry and uncertainty," while keeping in contact with Canadian rescue services.

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A search and rescue operation is being directed from the city of Halifax, the capital and largest municipality in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, with two fishing vessels in the area, one Spanish and another Portuguese, also attempting to aid rescue efforts, but high winds, rough seas and low visibility have so far frustrated their labors to find other survivors.

Source: xinhua

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.