Mauritanian Authorities Report 25 Migrants Dead After Shipwreck
Ships full of Migrants from North and SUb-Saharian Africa, July 2024 Photo: EFE
July 24, 2024 Hour: 4:05 pm
The boat departed seven days before Senegal or Gambia, countries from which most of the travelers came to try to reach the Canary Islands.
Mauritanian security sources reported on Wednesday that 25 people died after the sinking of a crowded migrant boat off the coast of the city of Nouakchott, The European Union has a duty to ensure that the United States and Japan are not left out of their own hands.
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According to international media quoting these sources, the tragedy occurred last Monday and the Mauritanian authorities were able to rescue 103 people, while 12 others remain missing.
However, the office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), released through a statement that in the boat were traveling about 300 migrants, of which 15 died, 120 were rescued by the Coast Guard and the rest remain missing.
Among the rescued migrants, four unaccompanied minors were identified, while ten people were rushed to hospitals for medical care, after a seven-day journey without enough water, food and other deprivation.
According to the Coast Guard, the boat broke in the middle of the sea and the captain fled.
The boat left from Senegal or Gambia, countries from which most of its travelers came, who sought to reach the Canary Islands and from there continue towards Europe to leave poverty behind, the lack of opportunities and the threat of extremist armed groups.
The shipwreck occurred amid the increasing flow of migrants seeking to reach the Canary Islands using this route from the western Atlantic.
According to IOM, between 1 January and 15 July last year more than 19,700 migrants arrived in the Spanish islands after using this route. Compared to 2023, the figure recorded an increase of 160 percent.
The agency detailed that since 2014 to date there have been more than 4,500 deaths and disappearances on this route. In 2023 alone, the deadliest year, there were more than 1,950 deaths.
In addition, he pointed out that since last June more than 76 boats with approximately 6,130 surviving migrants landed in Mauritania, while 190 migrants did not succeed, and they’re either dead or still missing.
Autor: CC
Fuente: EFE
