15 killed, dozens missing in migrant wreck off Mauritania

At least 15 migrants died and dozens more are missing after their boat capsized off the coast of Mauritania, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and local sources said Wednesday.

"We are deeply saddened by the death of 15 migrants and the estimated disappearance at sea of 195+ people after a boat capsized in Nouakchott," the IOM posted on X.

A Mauritanian coastguard official told AFP on condition of anonymity that at least 25 bodies had been recovered, 103 people rescued, while several dozen were missing following Monday's disaster.

"Approximately 300 people boarded a pirogue in The Gambia and spent seven days at sea before the boat capsized near Nouakchott on July 22, 2024," the IOM said in a statement.

The UN migration agency added that 120 people had been rescued by Mauritanian Coast Guards, while efforts continued to locate the missing individuals.

"Among the survivors, 10 people were urgently referred to hospitals for medical care, and four unaccompanied and separated children were identified," the IOM said.

The source from the Mauritanian coast guard referred to a pirogue carrying between 140 and 180 people, explaining that the boat had broken up in the middle of the sea and that the captain had abandoned the vessel.

Every year, thousands of Africans fleeing poverty and unemployment in search of a better future embark on the perilous route to Europe.

The Atlantic route is particularly dangerous due to strong currents, with migrants travelling in overloaded, often unseaworthy, boats without enough drinking water.

In early July, nearly 90 migrants bound for Europe perished when their boat capsized off the coast of Mauritania.