70 dead after migrant boat capsizes off the coast of West Africa
Al-Khamisa News Network - Gaza
The Gambia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday evening that at least 70 people died when a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of West Africa.
It is one of the deadliest incidents in recent years on the well-known migration route to Europe.
The ministry said in a statement there are fears that another 30 people may have died after the boat sank off the coast of Mauritania early last Wednesday, and it is believed to have departed from Gambia carrying mainly Gambian and Senegalese nationals.
The number on board is estimated at around 150, and 16 were rescued.
The statement said Mauritanian authorities recovered 70 bodies on Wednesday and Thursday, and eyewitness accounts suggest the death toll may exceed 100.
The Atlantic migration route from West Africa to the Canary Islands — commonly used by African migrants seeking to reach Spain — is one of the world’s most hazardous sea lanes.
According to the European Union, more than 46,000 irregular migrants reached the Canary Islands last year, a record number.
