At least 69 migrants, mainly from Gambia and Senegal, have died, and dozens are missing after their overcrowded boat capsized off the Mauritanian coast. The vessel, carrying around 160 people, capsized near Mheijrat after passengers rushed to one side when they spotted coastal lights. Only 17 survivors were rescued; they said the boat had left Gambia over a week ago. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, but the chances of finding more survivors are diminishing rapidly. Mauritania, with more than 700 km of Atlantic coastline, has become a key transit route for African migrants seeking to reach Europe. #DWAfrica
According to survivors, the boat left The Gambia six days before Tuesday’s accident, carrying around 160 people on board, mainly Gambian and Senegalese nationals.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Nearly 47,000 people reached the Canary Islands last year and the Spanish non-government organisation Caminando Fronteras estimates more than 9,000 migrants died trying.
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Coastguard sources told Spanish news agency EFE that search efforts were ongoing off the coast around 60km (37 miles) north of the capital, Nouakchott – and rescue teams were preparing to dive and inspect the sunken vessel.
The migrants spotted the lights of a coastal town late on Tuesday night and “moved to one side, causing it to capsize”, a senior coastguard official told the AFP news agency.
Caminando Fronteras spokesperson Helen Maleno urged the coastguard to keep up the search, describing the accident to Spanish media as one of the most significant “tragedies of this summer”.
Earlier this week, the Mauritanian security forces were accused of systematically abusing migrants from other African countries.
The Human Rights Watch report alleged the violations had been exacerbated by a deal with the European Union and Spain, which aims to curb the dangerous sea crossings to the Canary Islands.