BANJUL, Gambia (BN24) — At least 70 people have died after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Mauritania, Gambia’s foreign affairs ministry said Friday, marking one of the deadliest maritime disasters in years along the perilous migration route from West Africa to Europe.
The vessel, which departed from Gambia and carried mostly Gambian and Senegalese nationals, sank early Wednesday in waters off Mauritania. Authorities estimate the wooden boat had about 150 people on board. Sixteen passengers were rescued, while Mauritanian officials recovered 70 bodies on Wednesday and Thursday. Another 30 people are feared dead, and witness accounts suggest the final toll could exceed 100.
“The government of The Gambia implores all Gambians to refrain from embarking on such perilous journeys, which continue to claim the lives of many,” the foreign affairs ministry said in a statement.
The sinking highlights the deadly risks faced by migrants traveling the Atlantic migration route from West Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands. The corridor has long been one of the world’s most dangerous, with migrants often enduring overcrowded, unseaworthy boats and treacherous ocean conditions.
According to European Union figures, more than 46,000 irregular migrants reached the Canary Islands in 2024, the highest number ever recorded. Rights group Caminando Fronteras estimates more than 10,000 people died attempting the crossing that same year — a 58% increase from 2023.
Despite repeated warnings from governments and humanitarian organizations, the route continues to draw thousands seeking better economic opportunities or refuge from instability across West Africa.
Search and recovery operations for the victims of this latest tragedy were continuing in Mauritania on Friday, as families in Gambia and Senegal awaited confirmation of their loved ones’ fate.
