69 Drown as Migrant Boat Capsizes Off Mauritania
A tragic migrant boat accident off the coast of Mauritania has claimed at least 69 lives, with dozens more feared missing, in one of the deadliest maritime disasters to hit the West African nation this year.
According to Mauritanian coastguard officials, the vessel was carrying around 160 passengers when it overturned near the town of Mheijrat, some 80 kilometres north of Nouakchott. Survivors recounted that panic broke out on board after passengers spotted the lights of the coastal settlement. In a rush to one side of the boat, the vessel became unstable and capsized.
Seventeen people were rescued in the aftermath, while 49 bodies were initially recovered and buried. Authorities later confirmed that the death toll had risen to 69 as more bodies were washed ashore. About 100 people remain unaccounted for and are presumed to have drowned.
The boat is believed to have set sail from The Gambia a week earlier, with most passengers reported to be from Gambia and Senegal.
Their intended destination was likely the Canary Islands, a Spanish territory in the Atlantic that has become a major entry point into Europe for African migrants.
This latest tragedy has once again highlighted the deadly risks faced by migrants taking the Atlantic migration route.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that nearly 9,000 people died in 2024 while attempting similar crossings.
Human rights groups have also raised fresh concerns about the situation in Mauritania, a key transit country along the route.
Human Rights Watch recently accused authorities of mistreating migrants during crackdowns funded by a €210 million support package from the European Union aimed at curbing migration flows. Reports cited harsh detention conditions, lack of food and water, and forced expulsions.
As recovery operations continue, the disaster has reignited calls for stronger humanitarian protections and safer alternatives for people fleeing poverty and instability in West Africa.
