Twenty-five migrants die in shipwreck off Mauritania

Twenty-five migrants have died in a shipwreck off the coast of Mauritania, with dozens more believed missing, the country’s news agency reported.

The incident happened near the capital Nouakchott. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said more than 190 people were still missing and a rescue operation was underway to rescue everyone.

A Mauritius coast guard commander said the coast guard rescued 103 migrants and recovered 25 bodies.

About 300 people boarded a wooden boat in Gambia and were at sea for seven days before the boat capsized on July 22, the IOM said.

Fifteen people were confirmed dead when the coast guard arrived, while 10 others were taken to hospital for emergency treatment.

Ibba Sarr, a fishmonger at the Nouakchott fish market, told Reuters that strong winds over the past two days had pushed the bodies closer to shore.

Mr Sarr said he saw about 30 bodies collected from the beach.

“There will definitely be more lifeless bodies discovered in the next two days.”

The disaster follows a similar incident on July 5, when Mauritanian coast guards recovered the bodies of 89 migrants from a capsized boat.

The IOM says many migrants are trying to reach the Canary Islands, off the coast of Morocco. The route from West Africa to the Spanish territory is one of the most dangerous in the world.

More than 5,000 migrants died trying to reach Spain by sea in the first five months of 2024, according to the charity Caminando Fronteras.

According to Spanish government figures, 40,000 people arrived in the Canary Islands last year, double the number in 2022.

In April, the EU gave Mauritania €210 million (£177 million; $225 million) in aid, of which nearly €60 million was earmarked for the fight against undocumented migration into Europe.