70 bodies now retrieved after migrant boat tragedy heading to the Canary Islands
Updated: Friday 29th August @1.30pm
Mauritanian authorities have now recovered around 70 bodies and rescued just 17 survivors after a boat carrying more than 100 people capsized in Atlantic waters off their coast while heading for the Canary Islands, with the remainder still missing.
According to the Mauritanian Coast Guard, the vessel sank near M’haijratt, a coastal area located around 60 kilometres north of Nouakchott, the country’s capital.
Search operations are continuing, as it is feared that many more people remain missing.
The wooden boat, commonly referred to as a cayuco, was reportedly carrying over one hundred migrants attempting the perilous Atlantic crossing towards the Canaries. The route, while increasingly used, is considered one of the most dangerous due to strong currents, overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels, and the long distance involved.
In a separate case, five men accused of captaining another cayuco in which three people died after arriving in the Canary Islands are currently standing trial.
This latest tragedy once again highlights the extreme risks faced by migrants making the Atlantic crossing, as well as the ongoing humanitarian and security challenges for countries along the route.
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