Sixty-nine people drowned when a vessel full of migrants overturned off the coast of Mauritania earlier this week, coastguard officials said on Friday.
The accident occurred late on Tuesday after passengers on the boat spotted the lights of a coastal town about 50 miles (80km) north of the capital, Nouakchott, prompting the occupants to press to one side of the boat, causing it to capsize, Mohamed Abdallah, the head of the coastguard, told reporters.
“When the migrants saw the lights of the Mheijrat, they tried to move to one part of the boat, causing it to capsize,” Abdallah said.
The boat is understood to have left the Gambia a week ago, carrying about 160 people, including Senegalese and Gambian nationals.
The initial death toll was reported as 49, but a subsequent count by the official raised the number to 69. Seventeen survivors were pulled from the water by one of the coastguard’s patrols.
Thousands of would-be migrants have died in recent years during the dangerous maritime passage between Africa and Europe. According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), at least 8,938 people died in 2024 attempting to cross borders.
Travellers who pass through Mauritania usually come from neighbouring countries including Senegal and Mali, and are trying to reach Europe. But strong ocean currents and the fragile condition of the vessels make the long crossing perilous. Some people also try to go through the Sahara, which comprises 90% of Mauritanian territory, braving temperatures above 45C.
Human Rights Watch has reported abuses of migrants by Mauritanian security officials.
In a 142-page report released on Wednesday HRW said it had documented “police use of prolonged, painful restraints, limited food and water, and other mistreatment” in a crackdown funded since 2024 by a €210m (£182m) deal with the EU.
Authorities in Nouakchott have not yet responded to the report which has caused debate in government and humanitarian circles this week.
