MELILLA, SPAIN - JUNE 24: Several migrants make their way to the Temporary Immigrant Center (CETI), after jumping the fence of Melilla, June 24, 2022, in Melilla, Spain.
The group of migrants is made up of more than 400 sub-Saharans, who have accesse MADRID (AP) - The number of people who were killed after they tried to scale a border fence between Morocco and a Spanish enclave in North Africa rose to 23 Saturday as human rights organizations in Spain and Morocco called on both countries to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths.Moroccan authorities said the individuals died as a result of a "stampede" of people who attempted Friday to climb the iron fence that separates the city of Melilla and Morocco.
In a statement, Morocco’s Interior Ministry said 76 civilians were injured along with 140 Moroccan security officers.The ministry initially reported five deaths.
Local authorities cited by Morocco’s official Television 2M updated the number to 18 on Saturday and then reported that the death toll had climbed to 23.