At least 25 migrants died and another 103 were rescued by the Mauritanian authorities after their boat sank off the coast of the capital of Mauritania, Nouakchott, security sources told EFE this Wednesday.
The boat, which had departed from the coasts of Gambia and was destined for the Canary Islands, had 140 people on board, 12 of whom are still missing, according to the same sources.
In a statement released by its office in Nouakchott, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) raised the number of people traveling on the wrecked boat to approximately 300 migrants, and indicated that there were 15 deaths, 120 rescued and that the rest are still missing.
He explained that these migrants spent seven days at sea before the boat sank last Monday near Nouakchott.
Among the survivors, 10 people were urgently evacuated to hospitals to receive medical attention, and 4 unaccompanied children were identified among the migrants rescued alive.
The IOM note adds that this "tragic event" occurs in the context of the increase in migratory flows along the western Atlantic route, where numerous migrants attempt dangerous journeys in search of better opportunities or to escape difficult situations in their countries of origin.
It adds that so far this year, from January 1 to July 15, 2024, more than 19,700 migrants have arrived irregularly in the Canary Islands using this route, compared to the same period in 2023, when 7,590 migrants were registered, representing an increase of 160%.
It specifies that the IOM's 'Missing Migrants' project has recorded more than 4,500 deaths and disappearances on this route since 2014, including more than 1,950 deaths last year, the second deadliest year ever recorded.
Since June 2024, more than 76 boats with approximately 6,130 surviving migrants have disembarked in Mauritania, with at least 190 migrants dead or missing, the IOM note adds.