Gambiaj.com – (Banjul, The Gambia) – At least 70 people have been confirmed dead after a boat carrying about 150 migrants capsized off the coast of Mauritania earlier this week, in what is feared to be one of the deadliest migrant tragedies in recent months.
The vessel, which reportedly departed from Sami Koto, a village in The Gambia’s North Bank Region, was bound for Spain’s Canary Islands when it overturned in the early hours of August 27, between 2:00 and 3:00 a.m., off the coast of Lemhaisrat, some 117 kilometers from Nouakchott.
A Mauritanian official said the migrants had spotted lights from a town about 80 kilometers north of Nouakchott and rushed to one side of the boat, causing it to capsize.
The Gambian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the incident in a statement on Friday evening, noting that most of the passengers were Gambian and Senegalese nationals.
“So far, 16 survivors have been rescued, with five confirmed as Gambian nationals,” the ministry said. “Tragically, based on the number of survivors and the vessel’s estimated passenger count, it is believed that over 100 people may have perished in the incident.”
According to the Gambian Embassy in Nouakchott, 19 bodies were recovered from the water on the day of the tragedy, while another 51 washed ashore the following day, bringing the confirmed death toll to 70.
Due to the condition of the bodies, a swift burial was carried out by Mauritanian authorities in the presence of Gambian officials, security forces, medical staff, and the Red Cross.
The embassy dispatched a team to the site on August 28 under instructions from the Gambian ambassador to coordinate rescue and recovery efforts with Mauritanian authorities.
The accident highlights the growing dangers of the Atlantic migration route to the Canary Islands, which has become one of the world’s deadliest.
In July 2024, at least 89 people died when a similar vessel capsized off Mauritania. In December the same year, nearly 70 others lost their lives, and in January 2025, as many as 50 were believed to have drowned during a 13-day voyage from West Africa.
With The Gambia, Senegal, and Mauritania forming a key corridor along the Atlantic coast, the perilous route continues to claim lives as migrants risk everything in search of opportunities in Europe.
