Tragedy at sea: 89 migrants perish off Mauritanian coast

Dozens more migrants are reported missing following the tragedy.

“Mauritanian coastguards recovered the bodies of 89 people from a large traditional fishing boat that capsized on Monday, July 1st, off the Atlantic Ocean coast, 4 km from the town of Ndiago in southwest Mauritania,” reported the Mauritanian Information Agency.

The coastguards managed to rescue nine survivors, including a five-year-old girl.

According to survivor testimonies cited by the agency, the vessel had departed from the border between Senegal and The Gambia, carrying 170 passengers.

This would imply that 72 individuals are still unaccounted for.

A senior official from the local administration, speaking anonymously to AFP, provided similar details about the incident.