Greater than 60 migrants are believed to have died after a ship carrying them from Senegal capsized within the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Verde, the authorities mentioned this week.
The boat capsized sooner or later after leaving Senegal on July 10, the Reuters information company reported on Wednesday, citing the Senegalese International Ministry.
A Spanish fisherman discovered the boat floating about 150 miles north of Cape Verde’s Salt Island, the nation’s national police mentioned on Monday. The islands of Cape Verde lie a number of hundred miles west of Senegal.
Thirty-eight folks survived the accident, together with 4 youngsters, Safa Msehli, a spokeswoman for the United Nations migration company, mentioned in a short e-mail on Thursday. She mentioned seven folks had been confirmed lifeless and 56 others had been nonetheless lacking.
“Sadly, folks lacking at sea are presumed lifeless,” Ms. Msehli mentioned, including that every one however one of many 101 folks on board had been from Senegal.
No different particulars in regards to the tragedy, together with the boat’s unique vacation spot, could possibly be confirmed on Thursday morning. The Senegalese authorities couldn’t be reached for remark in a single day, and the Cape Verde nationwide police didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Smugglers have been piling migrants into poorly constructed or overcrowded boats to make the crossing to Europe from their dwelling nations in sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere. Most of the migrants take immense dangers as a way to escape conflict and poverty at dwelling.
Dozens of migrants drowned after a rickety boat carrying them to Italy from Tunisia capsized within the Strait of Sicily final week.
