2024-07-25 09:46:02
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A dozen migrants have died and at least 150 are missing after their boat capsized near Mauritania while trying to reach Europe, according to the International Organization for Migration, triggering a frantic search and rescue operation.
The boat capsized near the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott on Monday with 300 people on board. The Mauritanian Coast Guard rescued 120 people, the International Organization for Migration said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Unfortunately, 15 people were confirmed dead upon arrival,” he said. The search is still ongoing.
The number of people leaving West Africa via Senegal has increased in recent years, heading north from Senegal through Mauritania to Spain’s Canary Islands.
The migrants in the latest incident were traveling on an artisanal fishing boat that can be swamped by strong winds and currents in the Atlantic Ocean. Although thousands survived the perilous journey, many died or disappeared along the way, and sometimes their remains reached the other side of the Atlantic.
The International Organization for Migration said four unaccompanied children separated from their families were among those rescued after Monday’s crash. Ten survivors were taken to hospital for treatment.
African migrants trying to reach Europe are often fleeing poverty and instability. While they undertake the journey, sometimes the decision is not personal but one made by their family for a better future.
Nearly 20,000 migrants have arrived in the Canary Islands irregularly via the Mauritanian route so far this year, more than three times the number for the same period in 2023, according to the International Organization for Migration. At least 1,950 people died on the route last year, with the International Organization for Migration saying it was the second-deadliest route on record.
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