Over 100 Migrants Dead in Mauritania Shipwreck
More than 100 migrants have died in a shipwreck off Mauritania, underscoring the deadly risks of the Atlantic route from West Africa to Europe.
Recovery operations continue after a deadly shipwreck on Mauritania’s Atlantic coast. Photo: @teleSURtv
August 30, 2025 Hour: 8:29 am
More than 100 people lost their lives after a boat carrying migrants capsized off Mauritania’s coast this week, one of the deadliest recent incidents on the Atlantic migration route to Europe.
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Authorities said the vessel went down on Wednesday near Lemhaisrat, about 117 kilometers from the capital Nouakchott. Search and rescue operations began Thursday, when 20 bodies were recovered and 17 people were pulled from the water. Most of those on board were from Gambia and Senegal.
The Gambian Embassy in Nouakchott confirmed that at least 16 people survived, including five Gambians. By Friday, rescue teams had discovered another 51 bodies along the shore, bringing the confirmed death toll to more than 100.
Mauritanian authorities and the Gambian Embassy carried out swift burials, with the participation of gendarmerie, police, firefighters, Red Cross staff, and medical workers. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported that the boat had been carrying around 160 people, of whom only 17 were rescued.
In a separate operation, Mauritanian authorities intercepted another vessel from Senegal. All passengers survived, including five Gambians, raising the number of Gambian nationals now under local protection to ten.
The Gambian Embassy said it is coordinating with Mauritanian authorities and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to secure the safety and repatriation of Gambian citizens. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged young people in particular to avoid irregular sea crossings and announced new campaigns to raise awareness about the dangers of such journeys.
The Atlantic route from West Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands is considered one of the world’s deadliest migration paths, with thousands of fatalities reported each year. Just days before the Mauritania disaster, nearly 200 migrants — including women, children, and people with disabilities — attempted to swim from Morocco into Spain’s enclave of Ceuta.
Author: MK
Source: AP
