Fifteen people have been confirmed dead and 150 others still missing after a boat carrying 300 people capsized near Nouakchott, Mauritania's capital.
The Atlantic migration route, stretching from West Africa to the Canary Islands, remains one of the world's deadliest for African migrants seeking to reach Spain. This route is challenging during the busy summer period.
The Mauritanian coastguard managed to rescue 120 people, 10 of whom were hospitalized. Search efforts for the missing passengers are ongoing.
Ibba Sarr, a local fishmonger, observed strong winds pushing bodies ashore over the past two days. Around 30 bodies were collected from the beach near a waterside fish market in Nouakchott.
"The winds have brought more bodies to shore, and surely others will be discovered in the coming days," Sarr told Reuters.
The incident occurred 400 meters north of the market. Despite efforts to seek comments, Mauritanian authorities did not respond to Reuters' requests.
The IOM noted a significant surge in the use of the Atlantic route, with over 19,700 migrants reaching the Canary Islands between January 1 and July 15, 2024, marking a 160% increase from the previous year. Tragically, nearly 5,000 migrants died at sea in the first five months of 2024 while attempting to reach the Spanish archipelago, according to migration rights group Walking Borders.
