At least 49 migrants have died and around 100 remain missing after a boat carrying more than 160 people capsized off the coast of Mauritania, authorities confirmed. The wooden dugout canoe, which left The Gambia six days earlier, was heading towards Spain’s Canary Islands when it overturned late Tuesday night, approximately 60 km (37 miles) north of Nouakchott, Mauritania’s capital.
According to survivors, most of the passengers were Gambian and Senegalese nationals desperate to reach Europe in search of better opportunities. Seventeen people have been rescued so far, while coastguards continue search-and-rescue operations in the Atlantic waters. Officials said the boat capsized when passengers spotted the lights of a coastal town and rushed to one side, destabilizing the vessel.
This tragedy highlights the growing dangers of the Atlantic migration route to Europe. Nearly 47,000 people arrived in Spain’s Canary Islands last year, but human rights groups estimate that over 9,000 migrants perished in attempts to cross. Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras called the Mauritania disaster one of the most devastating shipwrecks of the summer, urging authorities to intensify search efforts for the missing.
The incident also comes amid controversy over Mauritania’s treatment of migrants. A recent Human Rights Watch report accused the country’s security forces of systematic abuse against migrants, claiming the situation worsened after Mauritania signed a deal with Spain and the European Union to curb irregular sea crossings.
The heartbreaking accident underscores the desperate choices facing thousands of Africans who risk the deadly Atlantic route under the mantra of “try or die,” seeking a better life but too often finding tragedy instead.
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