Dozens of refugees trying to reach Europe drown as boat sinks off Mauritania
At least 58 refugees trying to reach Europe from West Africa die as their makeshift boat capsized off the coast of Mauritania, but dozens of survivors managed to swim to shore.
Wednesday's sinking was the largest known loss of life along the West Africa smuggling route this year, and the sixth deadliest refugee drowning globally, according to the UN's International Organization for Migration.
The victims "were mostly clandestine immigrants trying to reach Spain, coming from Banjul in Gambia," Mauritania's interior ministry said in a statement released Wednesday night.
"At least 58 people are confirmed dead after a vessel carrying migrants sank as it approached the coast of Mauritania," the IOM said in a statement.
"Eighty-three others swam to shore and are receiving assistance."
The vessel sunk some 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of the town of Nouadhibou, near the border with Western Sahara, a Mauritanian security official told AFP.
"The craft hit a rock in the middle of the sea, it started taking on water and the engine fell apart," the official said.
"They weren't far from the shore, but a large swell stopped them from reaching the coast by boat."
The official said there was nothing aboard and the refugees were hungry and cold so they jumped into the sea and started swimming.
Survivors of Wednesday's sinking in Mauritania told the IOM there were at least 150 people aboard when the craft went down, including women and children.
The IOM said survivors had been trying to reach Spain's Canary Islands and that the boat left The Gambia on November 27.
UK's Rwanda deportation plan morally disgraceful
UK's Sunak vows to start migrant flights to Rwanda
US to pull out troops from Niger after France: Report
Iran urges Security Council to address 'belligerent' Israel's atrocities in Gaza, region
VIDEO | Leader meets workers on Labor Week
French police called in to break up US-style pro-Palestinian student demo
VIDEO | US continues starving Syrians, stealing their resources
Yemeni forces strike Israeli ship, Port of Eilat in solidarity with Gaza
Columbia, Yale students bent on ending US support for Israeli genocide
VIDEO | Genocide in Gaza
Iran calls on BRICS to play role in stopping Israeli crimes
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
