144 Dead or Missing, 387 Rescued After Two Migrant Boat Incidents Off Mauritania

Mauritania’s coast guard reached a boat carrying 160 people from Gambia that had run out of fuel and spent 25 days at sea, locating it near Nouakchott with 122 passengers missing. In a separate incident, the coast guard rescued 179 people who had departed from Senegal on Saturday.

The United Nations refugee agency reported Tuesday that the two operations off Mauritania between July 14 and 18 left 144 people dead or missing overall while rescuing 387.

The agency described the route toward the Canary Islands as one of the world’s deadliest due to long distances and overcrowded, unseaworthy boats. It called for expanded education and labor opportunities in countries of origin to reduce the need for such crossings. Mauritania’s waters have become a major route for people from sub-Saharan Africa seeking a better life in Europe.

The difference between the coast guard's missing-person count and the agency's total remains unresolved.