Last updated on August 28th, 2024 at 11:58 am
More than 15 migrants are known to have died and dozens are missing after their boat capsized off the coast of Mauritania, according to the International Organization for Migration, quoting local sources. This was the latest tragedy in a series of migrant disasters off the West African coast.
“We are shocked and heartbroken by reports that 15 migrants have died and an estimated more than 195 people are thought to have disappeared at sea as a boat capsized off Nouakchott,” IOM wrote on X.
A Mauritanian coastguard official, speaking under conditions of anonymity, confirmed at least 25 bodies had been recovered while 103 people were rescued. Several dozen are believed to be missing after Monday’s disaster.
Journey’s End in Disaster
The IOM clarified that nearly 300 people embarked on a pirogue from The Gambia and had been at sea for seven days when the boat capsized near Nouakchott on 22nd July 2024. Further, the UN migration agency stated that 120 people had been rescued by the Mauritanians Coast Guards, and the rescue operations were on to search the rest of the missing persons.
Contacted by the newspaper, a source in the Mauritanian coastguards told AFP that the pirogue took between 140 and 180 people on board, most of them from Senegal and The Gambia. “The boat was headed for Spain. It developed breakage in the Atlantic before the captain abandoned ship, leaving many in the lurch,” it added.
The Ongoing Migrant Crisis
Since June, over 76 boats packed with more than 6,000 surviving migrants have landed in Mauritania, while at least 190 are reported dead or missing, the IOM said.
Perilous Crossing to Europe
Every year, thousands of jobless poor Africans take the dangerous step to reach Europe. This route is extremely dangerous. Despite the dangers, that route’s popularity has increased with heightened Mediterranean patrols.
Between January 1 and July 15, more than 19,700 migrants landed irregularly in the Canary Islands-a 160% increase compared to the same time period in 2023.
