Rabat – In a devastating incident, at least 63 individuals are feared dead after a boat carrying passengers from Senegal capsized off the coast of Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported that 38 survivors, including four children, were rescued from the wreckage.
The fishing boat, which set sail from Senegal in July, was discovered adrift near Cape Verde by a Spanish fishing vessel on Monday, nearly 320 kilometers from the island of Sal.
The Spanish crew immediately alerted authorities, sparking a search and rescue operation.
Safa Msehli, the spokesperson for the IOM, confirmed that 37 of the survivors were Senegalese nationals, while one individual hailed from Guinea-Bissau.
The majority of those on board are believed to be from Senegal.
Emergency services recovered the remains of seven victims, but an additional 56 people are still unaccounted for, raising fears that the death toll could rise further as search efforts continue.
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Cape Verde, an island nation located approximately on the West African coast, lies along a perilous maritime migration route often taken by refugees and migrants seeking passage to the Spanish Canary Islands – a gateway to the European Union.
Despite the risks involved, thousands of individuals fleeing poverty, conflict, and other dire circumstances undertake this dangerous journey each year.
The travelers frequently rely on small, often overcrowded boats or motorized canoes provided by smugglers who charge exorbitant fees for the perilous voyage.
Cape Verde has faced similar incidents in the past. In January, rescue teams successfully saved around 90 refugees and migrants stranded in a canoe near the nation’s shores, though two individuals lost their lives.
The passengers hailed from various West African nations, including Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Sierra Leone.
The international community has consistently called for more comprehensive strategies to prevent such tragedies and to offer safer alternatives for those in desperate need to leave their countries, as well as to address the root causes behind irregular migration.
