Moroccan authorities said the casualties occurred when a "stampede" of people tried to climb the iron fence that separates Melilla and Morocco. The Moroccan Human Rights Association reported 27 dead, but the figure could not immediately be confirmed. "They were left there without help for hours, which increased the number of deaths," the human rights group said on Twitter. "The human rights of migrants and refugees must be respected and situations like that seen cannot happen again." The crossing attempt was the first since Spain and Morocco mended relations after a year-long dispute related to Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony annexed by Morocco in 1976.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 25, 2022 16:53 UTC