The boat with 300 folks on board left Gambia and capsized close to Nouakchott, in line with the United Nations migration company.
A ship carrying 300 passengers capsized close to the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott, killing not less than 15 folks and leaving greater than 150 lacking, the Worldwide Group for Migration (IOM) mentioned.
“Roughly 300 folks boarded a canoe in The Gambia and spent seven days at sea earlier than the boat capsized close to Nouakchott on 22 July 2024,” the Worldwide Group for Migration mentioned in an announcement on Wednesday. .
The United Nations migration company mentioned the Mauritanian coast guard had rescued 120 folks, whereas the seek for the lacking continued.
“Of the survivors, 10 have been urgently referred to hospitals for remedy, and 4 unaccompanied and separated youngsters have been recognized,” the Worldwide Group for Migration mentioned.
Ibba Sarr, a fishmonger at Nouakchott’s waterside fish market, mentioned robust winds over the previous two days had introduced the our bodies nearer to the coast and he had seen about 30 our bodies being collected from the seashore.
“Different lifeless our bodies will definitely be discovered within the subsequent two days,” Saar informed Reuters.
The Atlantic migration route from the coast of West Africa to the Canary Islands, usually utilized by Africans searching for asylum or higher job alternatives in Europe, can be one of many deadliest on this planet. Summer time is its busiest interval.
The Worldwide Group for Migration mentioned that between January 1 and July 15, 2024, greater than 19,700 folks arrived within the Canary Islands through the Atlantic route, a rise of 160% in comparison with the identical interval final yr.
However almost 5,000 folks additionally died at sea attempting to succeed in the Spanish islands within the first 5 months of 2024, in line with migrant rights group Strolling Borders.
Earlier this yr, the EU pledged monetary assist value 210 million euros ($229 million) to Mauritania to deal with migration points and supply humanitarian assist.
However human rights teams and migration analysts say the 27-member bloc’s coverage of externalizing migration administration via such agreements is unlikely to discourage folks fleeing battle and financial instability from attempting to hunt asylum in Europe.
