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National authorities have arrested 19 individuals accused of homicide and brutal abuse following over fifty people went missing from a migrant boat travelling from West Africa to the Canary Islands.

Investigators suspect some passengers were accused of being "sorcerers" following several incidents throughout the journey, such as mechanical issues, stormy conditions, and food shortages.

The boat was rescued off the coast of Gran Canaria on August 24 with 248 people aboard, according to official sources.

But, officials estimate that approximately 300 people were initially on the boat, and that several were pushed overboard.

Those rescued told police that some of their fellow passengers began "assaulting dozens of people, beating and abusing them in various ways," a police statement said.

"In some cases, they forced passengers into the sea while still breathing and refused to save those who fell in inadvertently."

Suspected fatal attacks were also documented "merely due to the fact that certain individuals objected or voiced their dissatisfaction with the conditions of the journey," authorities said.

One male passenger died in medical care after being found in critical condition when the vessel was located, according to police.

Those on board consisted of people from Senegal, Guinean, Malian, Gambian, Sierra Leonean, and Bissau-Guinean backgrounds, news outlets reported.

All 19 suspects are in custody facing aiding irregular immigration, homicide, assault, and torture.

The country is one of the primary gateways for irregular migration into Europe, with the majority entering via the Atlantic islands.

Almost 47,000 migrants reached the archipelago in the previous year, setting a record for a second year, but numbers have been far lower so far this year, according to official data.