Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said Tuesday that about 72,000 migrants risked their lives setting out from Morocco, crossing by sea or on foot to reach Ceuta, an autonomous city of Spain. The incident has claimed at least 75 lives.

CGTN Stringer interviewed two Ceuta residents and a Moroccan migrant who crossed into the Spanish city during the incident. One resident viewed the incident as "an invasion" rather than immigration, the other said that despite the critical situation, the crisis brought out the city's spirit of compassion. The migrant recounted why he left home and what he experienced during the journey. "People have no choice but to flee. That's the reality," he said.