At least 69 people have died and many more are missing after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Mauritania, according to local coastguards. Seventeen survivors have been rescued, while search efforts continue for others still unaccounted for.
The boat, a dugout canoe, had departed from The Gambia six days earlier, bound for Spain’s Canary Islands. It was reportedly carrying around 160 people, mainly from The Gambia and Senegal.
This dangerous Atlantic route has become an increasingly common — and deadly — path for African migrants hoping to reach Europe. Nearly 47,000 people arrived in the Canary Islands last year alone, highlighting the desperate risks many are willing to take in search of a better life.
