70 Migrants Die After Boat Capsizes in West Africa

At least 70 migrants have died after a boat capsized off the coast of West Africa, according to Gambia’s foreign ministry.

The accident marks one of the deadliest migrant disasters in recent years along the dangerous Atlantic route to Europe.

Officials fear the death toll could rise to over 100, as around 30 people remain missing following the sinking near Mauritania last Wednesday. The vessel, believed to have departed from Gambia, carried an estimated 150 migrants, mainly from Gambia and Senegal. Only 16 survivors have been rescued so far.

Mauritanian authorities recovered 70 bodies on Wednesday and Thursday, while eyewitness accounts suggest the number of victims may exceed initial estimates. The Atlantic crossing from West Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands is considered one of the world’s deadliest migration routes, claiming thousands of lives each year.

According to EU figures, more than 46,000 irregular migrants reached the Canary Islands in 2024, a record high. Migrant rights group Caminando Fronteras reports that over 10,000 people died attempting the journey, a 58 percent increase compared to 2023.