Over 100 migrants have died after a boat capsized off the coast of Mauritania. The incident highlights the dangers of the Atlantic migration route to the Canary Islands. Read more about the tragic event and rising migrant deaths.
Bollywood Fever: At least 89 bodies have been recovered off the coast of Mauritania after a migrant boat capsized earlier this week, according to the West African country’s state news agency and Yali Fall, the head of a local fishing association. This tragic incident underscores the perilous nature of the Atlantic migration route from West Africa to the Canary Islands, often used by African migrants attempting to reach Spain.
Mauritania’s state news agency reported on Thursday that the coast guard had recovered the bodies of 89 migrants who were aboard a boat carrying 170 people bound for Europe. Nine survivors, including a five-year-old girl, were rescued from the wreckage.
Efforts to reach Mauritanian authorities for further comment were unsuccessful.
Yali Fall, president of the fishing association in the southwestern town of Ndiago, provided an update on Friday, stating that the death toll had risen to 105. He described how locals had been retrieving and burying bodies found along the coast since Monday. “For three days, we buried the dead whose bodies were found,” he said.
The Atlantic migration route, especially busy during the summer months, is known to be one of the deadliest in the world. An unprecedented nearly 5,000 migrants died at sea in the first five months of 2024 while attempting to reach the Canary Islands, according to the migration rights group Walking Borders. This staggering figure highlights the extreme risks faced by those seeking a better life in Europe.
The number of arrivals to the Canary Islands during this period soared fivefold to over 16,500 compared to the same timeframe the previous year, as per data from the Spanish interior ministry.
This latest tragedy is a stark reminder of the ongoing migrant crisis and the dire conditions that drive people to undertake such dangerous journeys. The international community continues to grapple with finding effective solutions to address the root causes of migration and ensure the safety of those seeking asylum.
Tragic End to Search: Missing Autistic Girl Found in Tennessee Lake
Tragedy Strikes NYC: Three Dead After Alleged Drunk Driver Crashes into Fourth of July Crowd