89 bodies of migrants retrieved from Atlantic Ocean

[객원 에디터 7기 / 이석현 기자] Nearly 90 migrants bound for Europe perished and dozens more are missing after their boat capsized off the coast of Mauritania earlier this week, according to reports from the state news agency and local officials. The Mauritanian coast guard recovered the bodies of 89 individuals aboard a large African traditional fishing boat that capsized on Monday, July 1, approximately four kilometers from the southwestern city of Ndiago.

Survivors reported that the boat had set sail from the border region between Senegal and Gambia with 170 passengers on board, leaving 72 people unaccounted for. A senior local government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed this information to AFP. The coastguard managed to rescue nine individuals, including a five-year-old girl.

The Atlantic route, which the migrants were attempting to navigate, is notoriously dangerous due to strong currents. Migrants often travel in overloaded and unseaworthy boats that lack sufficient drinking water. Despite these hazards, this route has grown in popularity due to increased vigilance on migrants in the Mediterranean.

The Spanish government reported a significant increase in the number of migrants landing at Spain’s Canary Islands in 2023, with arrivals more than doubling from the year before to a record 39,910. The Canary Islands are a common destination for these perilous journeys. 

According to Caminando Fronteras, a Spanish charity, more than 5,000 migrants died while attempting to reach Spain by sea in the first five months of this year, averaging 33 deaths per day. This marks the highest daily death toll since the organization began collecting figures in 2007.

Sources: BBC, CNN, The Guardian